There is nothing better than breathing in the fresh air outside while you work. The sun on your skin, a light breeze and the soothing sound of birds chirping. But fair is fair, working in the sun with your laptop can sometimes be a challenge. For example, the screen becomes difficult to read due to reflections and the brightness of the sunlight. Still, working productively outside is quite possible. In this blog, we’ll tell you how.
My experiences working outdoors
The other day I decided to spend part of my workday in the park. With my laptop and a rug, I went out. The sun was shining brightly, and while that’s lovely, you do have some challenges with your laptop. Beforehand, I had thought about fully charging my battery, because of course there are no outlets in nature. Also my phone had a full battery and just to be safe I had my power bank with me. And I had my laptop sunscreen with me, so I was ready to go.
The benefits of working outdoors
In addition to the feeling of freedom, working outdoors also offers mental benefits. Spending time in nature has been proven to reduce stress and increase creativity. With the right protection for your gear, you can enjoy these benefits without sacrificing productivity. I have found that my mood improves and my energy increases when I work outside, which in turn positively impacts my work performance.
Work productively with a laptop sunshade
An indispensable item if you are going to work outside is a laptop sunshade. It is a loose screen that you put on your laptop, which prevents sunlight from shining on your screen. You can easily put it on your laptop and don’t have to attach it to anything in particular. It is ideal for preventing reflection of light. The park I went to work in was quite busy that day. All around me people were picnicking, children playing and others exercising. Normally in a busy environment I would have trouble concentrating, but this was fine now. Besides the shade the screen provided, it’s also nice that people can’t look at your screen.
Practical stuff to take along on workation
These days I have become very handy at bringing small and light work gear on workation or a day of remote work in nature, but it has been different in the past. I remember very well that last year in summer I went to the beach for a day, took my beach chair and umbrella with me and thought in good spirits that I was going to work there. Things went wrong! My cheap umbrella did not block much light, so I could hardly see anything on my screen. Nowadays I am equipped with good gear! Which allows me to work productively outside. Since I have this laptop sunshade, which folds up easily, it also comes standard. I’m quite a sun worshipper, so not an unnecessary luxury for me. It’s also very nice that I don’t have to squint my eyes so much. I regularly went to work that way on the beach for the rest of the week as well, enjoying the sound of the waves and the view of the sea.
Tips for working productively outdoors
Proper protection of your laptop from sunlight is essential if you want to work outside. I hopefully don’t need to remind you that you should not only take good care of your gear, but also of yourself. So apply sunscreen well before you go outside. Before you know it, you’ll be at work and meanwhile as red as a lobster because you forget how bright the sun is. As I said before, make sure your laptop is well charged and take a power bank with you. I carry one in my bag by default. You also have solar-powered power banks, which is totally ideal. They charge while lying in the sun. Don’t forget your earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, so you can shut out your surroundings and concentrate on your work. Want to work really comfortably outside? Then take a laptop sunshade with you on the road. These come in different sizes and of such robust material that they are good for outdoor use. Whether you are working in the garden, on a terrace, in the park or even on the beach, this is ideal for outdoor work. It is very compact, so it is also easy to take with you when traveling if you are going to work remotely. Want more tips on productive remote working? Then read on in this blog. #collaboration
