Mums, Is The Office Chair A Place You Can Relax?

If you’re a working mum, your mornings might be chaotic. From climbing out of bed at the crack of dawn to preparing breakfast, getting your children up and dressed and locating missing school uniforms and shoes, attempting to keep order during the first couple of hours of the day may leave you feeling a little frazzled. So, rather than being a chore, getting to work and slumping into your office seat may give you a welcome chance to relax. To explore this idea, we surveyed more than 600 office-based mums and asked them a series of questions relating to a typical working day. The study looked at whether these busy parents consider their office chair to be a place where they can relax after a whirlwind morning of organising their brood. So, let’s see if working mothers really do see their seat at the office as somewhere to unwind after their hectic morning schedule.

From Rushed to Relieved

The study revealed that 73% of mums view getting their kids up and ready as the most important part of their morning, and it seems the rush to rouse their children has an effect on parents’ beauty regimes. More than four in 10 mums admitted that how they look in the mornings is not of any significance to them. Lifestyle blogger and mum Bex from ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com explained her mornings are “stressful, tiring and crazy”. Similarly, blogger Becky from diaryofafatbottomedgirl.com noted that a typical week morning leaves her feeling “rushed, stressed and unorganised”. However, she also revealed that her mood changes to “relieved, calm and ready” to work once she gets to her desk at the office. Overall, 43% of respondents described their morning routines as “hectic, busy and stressful”, so it’s no wonder that some mums see their office chair as a place to relax.

Room for Improvement

When it comes to the actual seats that mums use during their working days, over half (55%) of those surveyed said that the chair they sit on is very important to their daily satisfaction, with 70% stating that their office chair is “fairly comfortable”.  However, when asked how their office seating could be improved, some of the respondents had a lot to say. Elaine from ahintofwhite.com admitted “a softer chair would be better” than her current seating solution, while blogger Helen from allthebeautifulthings.co.uk said she feels her day could be improved if she had “a proper office chair”. The survey also divulged that some mums are putting their health as risk. Blogger mum Daniella from madamegourmand.com confessed that she suffers from backache while sitting at her desk. In fact, 40% of respondents stated that they experience back pain some of the time while working. With office mums spending an average of seven hours a day in their chairs, it’s apparent that there is room for improvement when it comes to this piece of furniture. Some mums even remain in their office seats during their free time at work; nearly half (48%) of the mums surveyed claimed to eat their lunch while sitting at their desk. It’s clear to see there is a trend among mums when it comes to the office chair. This seat is often viewed as a calming retreat for parents after they’ve dealt with their hectic morning routines. The poll also revealed that to protect their well-being at work, many mums could benefit from improving the quality of their chairs. A huge thank you to all the lovely mum's who featured on our campaign: madamegourmand.com www.allthebeautifulthings.co.uk www.lifebynaomi.com www.itsjustmeandmylife.com diaryofafatbottomedgirl.com www.ahintofwhite.com workingmumblog.com beingmrsc.com ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com