Month: September 2021

Summer draws to a close, wedding and party season are quieting down, and regular rainfall is returning. Autumn is coming.

Many of us will set foot in our gardens less and less over the coming months, and this means our garden rooms and buildings may become somewhat of an afterthought. Maintenance is essential even if you use your garden room regularly, such as an office or playroom, which won’t be shutting down for the colder season.

Most garden room manufacturers will recommend that you perform regular upkeep, ideally at least twice a year in spring and autumn. This may seem unnecessary, especially if you just recently had your garden building installed; however, getting into the habit is absolutely essential. Taking the time out to maintain the garden room will save you a lot of money rather than forking out for potential damage repair in the future.

Here we offer our autumn tips on how to maintain your garden room.

1.  Clear The Gutters

All of those beautiful lush leaves and petals we cherished this summer have to go somewhere as they fall from the trees. They will, of course, end up in your gutter. This organic waste can cause water to seep into your garden room and cause leaks and damage. Check all your gutters for fallen leaves, twigs, and even rubbish that may have wafted in, and ensure all the gutter joints are secure. You could be extra eco-friendly and compost this waste to use on your flower beds. 

2.  Clean and Touch Up The Paintwork

As a general rule, your paintwork or cladding will only need a simple wash down twice a year. This will clean off any organisms that could destroy the paintwork. Clean any caulk and wipe your windows down. Don’t use large amounts of water; grab a synthetic brush and a mild detergent solution instead of a hose pipe.

While you’re cleaning, you can have a look for any areas that could do with a lick of paint. Sand the area lightly with fine-grade sandpaper, rinse away the dust, let it dry and then paint!

3.  Wash The Roof

Your flat roof and its cappings should be washed down twice a year. You can use a hosepipe here but be careful not to force water through the tiles. Remember, the rooftop will become very slippery when it’s wet, especially if the weather is cold.

4.  Check over the Hardware

Bolts, hinges and other fixings could get a lot of wear and tear over a half year period. Check them all for tightness. Grab some oil and lubricate the hinges; some WD40 will help in the locks to make sure they stay smooth. Do not lubricate friction hinges. Check the door tracks and window frames for any dirt or obstructions and clean these.

5.   Prep Your Heating

If you use your garden building year-round, then you likely have some type of heating source. Give your stove a clean and make sure you have plenty of wood stocked. If you use space heaters, wipe them over to avoid that burnt dust smell, and any inbuilt heating systems should be run in the autumn to make sure they’re all operational before the cold sets in.

6.   Secure Your Valuables

If you are closing the garden building down for the colder months, remember to store away any valuables, take them into your main home if appropriate. Any outdoor furniture should be stored away, especially soft furnishings. You should securely lock all windows and doors and ensure that all power outlets and unused electrical appliances are turned off.

We hope these tips have given you an idea of how to maintain your garden room you can follow every autumn to prepare your garden room, office or building for the colder and potentially quieter months. If you’re hunting for your perfect garden, why not do your own search through our seller’s listings.

You may not be aware, but Mindfulness Day, created by the not-for-profit organisation, Wisdom Publications fell on September 12. Wisdom Publications are a publisher of Buddhist books and practical works on mindfulness. This crucial element of Buddhism has gone far beyond Buddhists and has been made popular in the West by psychotherapists and psychologists. We hear the term frequently, mindfulness or being mindful, but what does it really mean, and how easy is it to implement into our daily lives?

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the ability of humans to be fully present and aware. Aware of what we are doing and where we are. It is also our essential ability not to be overly reactive or become overwhelmed by what goes on around us. It involves developing a presence in all aspects of our lives to do life rather than letting life do us.

Can I be Mindful?

Everyone possesses the ability to be mindful; however, often, the hustle and bustle of daily life mean this ability is lost. Our minds wander away and take flight, and we lose touch with our bodies and inner selves. Sometimes we become more tied up in obsessive thoughts, concerned with things that have not yet happened or that we have no control over.

While mindfulness itself is an innate skill we all possess, it can be nurtured and cultivated through proven techniques.

These techniques include:

• Short pauses or breaks which we insert into our everyday lives
• Combining mediation with yoga or sport
• Seated, walking, standing and moving mediation (you can lie down; however, this often causes a person to fall asleep)

What Are The Benefits Of Mindfulness?

Mindfulness, and meditation themselves, shouldn’t be performed solely seeking benefits; however, of course, there are many.

Benefits include:

• Stress reduction
• Gaining insight, awareness and emotional intelligence both of ourselves and others
• Enhanced performance
• Increased self-control
• Improved concentration

How Can I Be More Mindful?

There are many ways to be more mindful. Here are just some:

Meditate: Even 5 minutes a day to sit calmly and quietly, following your breath can help you feel more connected for the rest of the day. Take time to step away from your workplace or other busy environments to just be with yourself.

Uni-Task: While much is said of people’s ability to multi-task, studies have actually shown that jobs take 50% longer, and you’re 50% more likely to make a mistake when multi-tasking. Instead, try making a to-do list and focus on just one task at a time.

Pay Attention: Whether cleaning the bathroom, writing a report or cooking dinner, take time out to be in the moment. If you’re eating a meal, turn the TV off and put down your phone. Pay thoughtful attention to the task and hand. This healthy focus time can help to avoid a sense of being overwhelmed. It can also help you to recognise your achievements each day rather than feeling you “got nothing done.”

Get Moving: Not house, but your body! Go for a walk, hit the gym, practice some yoga, even stand up to stretch at your desk regularly. Not only will these activities release endorphins, but they will also help you to be aware of the sensations of your body moving.

Go Outside:  Hit the park with the kids, go for an evening stroll around your home, or trek to the hills or beach. However, you can get outside, do it! The sun and fresh air are great for your body; they also help with your circadian rhythms. Besides, getting out and seeing and taking in the world around you allows you to feel grounded, present and mindful.

Whatever you are trying to achieve, we hope that you can add some of these mindfulness tips into your daily regime to improve your health, body, mind and soul. If you’re looking for some space to practice yoga and get mindful, why not check out these activity rooms!

If there is one thing this pandemic has shown many businesses, it’s that the model of working they had previously used may not have been the most efficient one. Sometimes being forced to do something different highlights changes we didn’t even realise were necessary. Much of the working nation has now returned to the office; some with glee at finally sharing a tea with colleagues, others perhaps more cautiously.

Many people who had always gone into a physical office suddenly worked from home and discovered they really enjoyed it. A fair number of employers have found that adopting a hybrid working model for some or all of their staff has lowered costs and increased productivity. Are you among the number of staff who will remain a full-time remote worker? Maybe you will work remotely on some days and others you will attend the office. Now that you’ve joined the hybrid working force – how do you ensure you stay close and present?

What is hybrid working?

At the moment, hybrid working is an umbrella term used to describe various remote working models. These will include:

• The entire workforce works a combination of remote and office-based hours over a week or month. These staff will see each other the most with regular collaboration and co-working opportunities.
• Staff working either remotely or from a central location based on the demands of their occupation. All staff would come together as needed for collaborative work or to use specific facilities.
• Some still will always work from home, and others will be permanently office-based. Remote workers will rarely see each other, decisions on remote or office-based work may be based more on status than job description, i.e. remote working maybe be a perk for those in positions of seniority,

What are some of the risks of hybrid working?

Physical access can mean that some staff will have influence that others do not. This means that both direct and indirect discrimination is a genuine possibility. In a hybrid working environment, those with a physical presence in an office will likely be approached first when decision-making or consultations need to occur. As a hybrid or remote worker, this can have some real implications, and it will take a concerted effort to overcome this unconscious bias.

How To Hybrid Effectively 

Let’s take a look at some ways to effectively work with a hybrid approach below.

Good Online Profiles

Make sure that any online profiles for your co-working systems are filled out as completely as possible. Add a photo to your Outlook or messaging systems and ensure your preferred contact information and correct and visible. Make sure you have a clear working space and good lighting for those all-important video meetings.

Answer Communication Quickly

If you are someone who always takes days to answer an email, then your colleagues will be less likely to turn to you for advice or to take your opinion into account as readily. Consider using an auto-reply with your working days or expected reply time if there is likely to be a delay in your response. Always set an out of office if you are due to be away. Don’t leave your colleagues wondering. Ensure they can rely on you even though they can’t see you

Cultivate Relationships

It’s easy to miss out on all the small talk/chat that often happens in the physical office. Consider 5 minutes at the start of a work meeting to catch up and chat. Introduce yourself to anyone you may not recognise.

Perhaps you can suggest adding a slot in a meeting agenda for any personal updates colleagues might like to give each other, like new grandbabies or a great holiday! Try popping into the office now and again, even if you work from home permanently, unless location makes that difficult! Email colleagues just to ask how they are doing!

Initiate and Engage In Team Discussions

Answer surveys if sent out; respond to calendar invites; make sure your colleagues know you are engaged in the work. Send out regular updates of the work you are doing and open the door for feedback and interaction. Remember to contact your colleagues for their opinions, making them more likely to contact you when the time comes.

Being aware of the potential risks of hybrid working can allow you to stay one step ahead of any unintended bias. Dedicating just a bit of extra time to mitigating any issues will pay off in dividends. In addition, you’ll be setting the example and modelling behaviour for the entire team that will hopefully rub off. Encourage your remote working buddies to join in on the revolution to ensure change is made.

If you fancy a garden office to make life more structured and organised you can start your search here.

We are pleased to announce that we have recently partnered with Working From Home Live, a show for remote working success at Excel London, on the 24^th and 25^th of November.

After a crazy 18 months, the focus of the show is getting Britain back to business by revealing secrets of business adaptation and innovation relating to remote working.

It’s no secret that the future of work is evolving rapidly, in real-time. During the main lockdown’s of the pandemic, many people and companies were thrown into remote working. Having to adapt quickly, implementing new processes and systems, the workforce and organisations became divided.

While some loved working from home and wanted to keep the option permanently, others weren’t so keen. What is clear, however, is that remote working is here to stay. With this in mind, organisations will need to adapt.

Covid thrust many of us into a crazy experiment. We learned to Zoom and create makeshift desks on kitchen tables. We learned to adapt with family and pets around us and got into new habits.

Organisations learned that cyber security and systems needed to be tested in new ways and adapted. Cloud solutions became a vital part of the IT infrastructure, and video conferencing was a weekly requirement.

Working From Home Live is a show dedicated to these changes. Helping businesses and employees navigate this new remote working landscape.

Key speakers at the event include Dragons Den’s Touker Suleyman, Founder of My Protein, Oliver Cookson and Mr Paul Scully, minister for Small Business, Consumers & Labour Markets and Minister for London.

There will be interactive masterclasses, exhibitors, and networking over the two-day event. What’s more, tickets are FREE. You can book your Working From Home Live tickets here.

Why have we partnered with The Working From Home Live Show? Garden rooms make the perfect home office solution, an upgrade from those makeshift kitchen table desks. They allow people to work in a dedicated space away from distraction and the embarrassment of Zoom call interruptions and background mess.

Sales of garden buildings rose by a colossal 500% between January and May, compared with the previous year as people realised the benefits of having an extra room. Many garden room manufacturers will be exhibiting at the event in November, showing the versatility of their buildings.

For both companies and employees, the event promises to be a great place to learn, spot new and emerging technology and trends as well as network. With tickets costing nothing, what have you got to lose? Get your ticket here.