4 Tips For Court Reporters Working From Home

May 7, 2016 10:05 pm Published by

 

tips for court reporters

Working from home can be a challenge.  While it sounds wonderful at first, learning how to manage your surroundings is incredibly important, especially for court reporters.  With our significant others, children, and even our four-legged friends all competing for our attention, our home office can sometimes be more distracting than the quiet oasis we intended.

While our homes are our castles, we can sometimes feel like mere peasants when trying to finish expedites, making sure homework gets done, and throwing together dinner.

 

4 Tips for Court Reporters Working From Home

  1.  Setting Boundaries.  There’s been a lot of talk about building walls in this election cycle (no this is not a political post, and no we won’t be endorsing any candidates tonight).  No matter which side of the fence you stand, as court reporters, we can agree that our home office should be the one place that is off limits to everyone else.  Having a quiet place to work is the first step in producing high quality transcripts.
  2. Getting Comfortable.  The ergonomics of our home office are extremely important for our health.  From office chairs with proper lumbar support to properly configured monitor and table heights, the way we position our bodies while we work can prevent (or at least postpone) the common ailments of veteran court reporters such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.  The downside here is that if you aren’t used to monitoring your posture while you work, it can feel uncomfortable at first.  Keep at it, though, it will begin to feel more and more natural.
  3. Proper Lighting.  Few people understand the power of lighting in a room.  Light is measured in Kelvins and the amount of Kelvins determines “color temperature” of the light.  Warm colors would be a fireplace (deep reds), while fluorescent lights would be considered cooler (whites and blues).  People are proven to be more productive in a well lit room with cooler colored lighting with natural light from the sun providing even better results.
  4. Fuel Your Body.  Stay away from the sugar and even most caffeinated drinks like sodas and coffee.  While the caffeine in these drinks does improve your alertness, they often dump all of the caffeine into your body at once.  Green Tea on the other hand, while still caffeinated, contains a chemical called l’theanine, which releases the caffeine more slowly into your body giving you a longer and more steady benefit.
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This post was written by Lori LeRoy

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