Recently, I wrote a couple of articles on how we can better protect ourselves from EMF radiation while in the bedroom or driving in our automobiles. Another article I believe needs to be researched and written is one concerning home office EMF protection and how we can better protect ourselves as we work, talk on the phone, pay bills or surf the internet while in the home office.
I once spent a decent amount of time in my professional career as an IT consultant. I no longer consult, however, when I did I would travel from city to city, state to state, sitting in the window seat of an airplane (my preference over aisle seats) or driving in a rented automobile. Hey look kids, Big Ben, Parliament. I wish. My travels were more like traveling alone or maybe with another consultant, staring from my window airplane seat and gazing in the midst of foggy white clouds, or driving for hours in the middle lane of some highway.
When not travelling from site to site, I’d work from my home office, plugged into my WiFi, joining conference calls on my cell phone and banging away at the keys of my laptop. Many of us spend (or our companies spend for our benefit) money on items such as ergonomic chairs, desks we can stand up and work from, anti-glare computer screens and probably much more. And it is probably a very decent endeavor. EMF protection for the home office should also be worth noting, however, and it is being taken into account more and more as we become more familiar with it.
So What Are EMFs? Why Should We Be Concerned?
So, what is EMF radiation? I know I have mentioned this a number of times previously on this site, but for those who are new here, or don’t yet know, no worries. EMF is actually a form of radiation that is emitted by electric devices that transmit a signal. A number of this is actually ionizing, such as X-rays. However, a good deal of EMF radiation is non-ionizing, like the type that is transmitted by your mobile phone, your Fitbit fitness tracker, or your laptop. While government agencies as well as federal guidelines suggest that small amounts of exposure to non-ionizing radiation is actually not recognized to cause cancer or serious health concerns, independent research indicates that this may not be entirely accurate.
Why should we be concerned with EMF radiation? The main point here is that EMF exposure is widely known to result in neurological and physiological issues by causing disruption to nerve function.
From headaches to fatigue to sleeping issues, from fertility issues to depression, EMF can affect us in a variety of ways. Below are just a few:
- Memory issues
- Cancer concerns
- Problems with our reproduction system. Fertility issues
- Genetic disorders
- Headaches and depression
- Tinnitus (perception of noise or ringing in the ears)
- Fatigue, a general feeling of tiredness, daytime sleepiness
- Disturbances of sleep, insomnia
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Difficult time concentrating
- Feeling faint, dizziness, nausea
- Rash, skin irritation, itchy sensation
Sources of EMF Radiation in the Home Office
So, what are some of the more commonly identified sources of EMF radiation in the home office? Well, we have already identified a few above. I will list some of the more common sources below and suggest ways to protect ourselves later on in this article.
- WiFi and WiFi Routers
- Laptops and/or Tablets
- Cell Phones
- Printers, Copiers, Fax Machines and Other Electronics
- Electrical Wiring
- Home Office Lights (primarily fluorescent)
Home Office EMF Protection – WiFi and WiFi Routers
We tend to utilize WiFi often in our home office. Whether connected to the internet on our laptop, or utilizing our cell phone for WiFi calls for meetings or friendly banter. If I need to print a document, my laptop is not connected to my printer via a cable like it used to be. Instead, it is connected via network WiFi.
So, what exactly is WiFi radiation? Well, WiFi radiation is a form of EMF, also known as radio frequency radiation (RF), that routers discharge to uphold a continuous signal to all your devices.
So what can be done to protect us from WiFi and WiFi routers? Well, for one, if willing and able to throw back the easy convenience that WiFi technology provides us to a simpler day, we can convert our home office from wireless to wired. I wrote a similar article on the topic that can be found here.
If unable or unwilling to convert back to a wired network, I hear you. There are a few things we can still do, however. One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect ourselves from WiFi in our home office is to install something called a WiFi router guard. What is a WiFi router guard? Well, a WiFi router guard is basically a container made of metal mesh that works as a Faraday cage. Essentially all that is needed is to position your router in the container and shut the cover. That is all.
The mesh then serves as a conductor, which spreads the radiation throughout the mesh and keeps most of it from reaching you. A WiFi router guard can actually reduce WiFi EMF emissions up to 99%. We can make our own router guard via welding our own materials or utilizing EMF protective fabric or even a mesh waste basket to cover the the WiFi router, or we can purchase a product such as those listed below. All products below are sold on Amazon.com.
Smart Meter Router Guard – This is the classic Faraday cage. Smart Meter claims this guard will block most of the EMF your router emits. It actually comes in two sizes as well. The small version is (12” x 9” x 3” inches) and the large version is (12 x 11 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ inches). The price of the small is reasonable. And it is large enough for most modems.
Faraday Defense Router Shield – This is a heavy-duty version of the Faraday cage. Interior dimensions are 3.5″ x 10.25″ x 12″, which, again, will fit most routers nicely. Faraday Defense claims that this unit provides 60 dB attenuation (or signal reduction), which translates to a 99.9% reduction. This model does run a bit pricier.
Another option is to invest in a WiFi router cover for additional protection. This WiFi Router Cover (link to Amazon.com) is an excellent choice. It helps minimize harmful emissions from your router and is made from premium materials like copper, nickel, and polyester fiber fabric. With certified 99.999% protection against radiation, it’s a reliable way to shield your space.
EMF-Harmony also produces an EMF harmonizer product for WiFi routers. You can see the product here.
Home Office EMF Protection – Laptops And/Or Tablets
When thinking about what exactly I do within my home office, working on a laptop computer comes to mind. I would not at all be surprised if we someday conclude that artificial intelligence actually re-invented the concept of a home office. Some grandchild of a typewriter and great grandchild of a book, decided a home office would be an ideal place to house them.
Kidding aside, the underside of the laptop has been noted to emit a fairly large amount of EMF radiation – approximately 40 to 100 MGs (milligauss). When using a laptop, it is recommended by many to rest the device on a table or desk, and not on your lap directly. If you prefer working or browsing with your laptop on your lap, consider using a shield to block EMF radiation and your laptop’s heat. A fantastic place to shop or explore EMF-blocking laptop shields is DefenderShield. You can check out their products by following this link.
Home Office EMF Protection – Cell Phones
Although I do have a landline in my company’s office space, when working from home, I use a cellphone. My place of employment actually gave me (or lent me) a cell phone first day on the job. So, now I have two (one for business and one for personal use). If I were an old time cowboy, living in a movie, I would keep one in my holster and another probably in my boot. The one I would keep in my boot would be on vibrate mode, so that it could remain somewhat inconspicuous. If you see me rolling up in the nearest coffee shop, you would have no idea I was carrying a cell phone in my sweaty boot, would you? Then before you know it, I would get a call, feel the vibration against my shin and whammo – I would pull up the leg of my pants, unholster my cell phone and take the impromptu meeting. I would do this quickly too. You would be left thinking, wow, I didn’t know he was carrying two cell phones the entire time.
Seriously though, cell phones are a definite EMF concern, and when working from our home offices, we should be aware of this and take any precautions we can in order to protect ourselves from any unnecessary radiation. A recent study conducted by the National Toxicology Program found that cell phone radiation actually produced clear evidence of tumors in the hearts and some evidence of tumors in the brains of male rats.
It is obviously a serious issue. So, how can we protect ourselves? How can we limit the amount of radiation we are exposed to?
For one, we should try to limit the amount of time we use the cell phone. If we are in our home office and take a conference call, put the cell phone on speaker mode instead of holding it to your ear. Perhaps, utilize headphones when on the phone (and not the Bluetooth kind). Bluetooth wireless headphones also come with EMF repercussions. Instead search for the ones with wires attached. A great version is currently sold by DefenderShield. Below is the product link. I previously wrote a more detailed article on the subject as well. Find it here.
DefenderShield’s EMF Radiation-Free Air Tube Stereo Earbud Headphones
Another means of protecting ourselves from cell phone EMF radiation is to utilize EMF protective cell phone cases. DefenderShield (mentioned above) really is a solid company that offers a variety of EMF protective cell phone cases, along with other EMF protective products. All of their cell phone cases are backed by FCC certified lab testing and block 99% of EMF radiation. Check out our DefenderShield’s products here for some great EMF protective cases.
Another possibility of cell phone EMF protection is the EMF protection cell phone sticker. Although the cell phone case seems more effective (to me anyway), many swear by these cell phone stickers as well. Aulterra Neutralizer is a company that have been in business since 1997 and actually have a patent on their technology. They use paramagnetic minerals in order to retune EMF radiation frequencies and make radiation no longer harmful to the human body. EMF-Harmony also offers an EMF harmonizer product for cell phones. For the EMF-Harmony solution, you can view it here.
Shungite in the Home Office
Lastly, many also swear by the use of shungite for EMF protection. I wrote another article on the subject and that article can be found here. Shungite is a black and fairly shiny mineral comprised of greater than 98 percent carbon. It was discovered near the Shunga village in Russia in the mid-late 1800s. To understand Shungite in terms of EMF protection, we first need to dive into something called fullerene.
According to dictionary.com, fullerene is described as “any of a class of molecules of carbon having a roughly spherical shape”. These fullerenes are thought to be exceptionally strong anti-oxidants and are currently being studied for numerous health benefits.
Pure shungite contains a limited amount of fullerenes. Hence, one health benefit believed to be associated to shungite, due to the presence of fullerenes, is the possible ability to digest and neutralize the dangerous frequencies from EMF radiation.
So how can we utilize shungite for home office emf protection? Well, many people place shungite close to electronic devices, such as your WiFi router or laptop. A shungite pyramid is often used for this exact purpose. The shungite pyramid is pleasing to the eye, somewhat mystical looking and is said to help with EMF protection. Why not place a shungite pyramid on your office desk for this intention? Below are a few links to products currently available on Amazon.com.
Shungite Pyramid Set – 50 mm – for EMF Protection
2 pcs Authentic Shungite Harmonizers
A great book to read more about shugite and how it can be very beneficial is Shungite: Protection, Healing, and Detoxification by Regina Martino. Link provided by Amazon.com.
In Conclusion
We oftentimes use our home office as a place to work, to take various conference calls or any other call, and just get away from others while needing to put our heads down, concentrate and work hard at something. EMFs are pretty much everywhere. In our home office, EMF radiation is something that is given off by many of the devices we use in order to do the best job we can. With some good habits and decent planning however, I do believe we can minimize the amount of EMF radiation we are exposed to in our home office.