When you’re working from a home office, there is no shortage of perks and advantages, allowing you to work as flexibly as you might like. However, the challenge of it all can be keeping your sanity when working in the same space without coworkers as time goes on. Some people find their groove without much help at all. However, for others, it can be vital to set up the little essentials and extras that can make the workday go a lot better. Here, we’re going to look at some tools, devices, and software choices that can help you keep happily plugging along toward your goals.
A standing desk
One thing that will definitely drive you insane while working from home (if you let it) is back and joint pain and that can be caused or exacerbated by spending too much of your time sitting in front of your computer. A good ergonomic chair can help relieve some of the tension that might build up, but a sit-stand desk is even better, allowing you to adjust how you work to your comfort throughout the day. It’s still recommended that you take breaks away from the keyboard, of course.
A corkboard (or digital whiteboard)
Does your workday see you tracking multiple tasks, objectives, and bits of information throughout the day? Your mind might be like an infinite filing cabinet, able to store everything away and remember it when you need to, but that’s not the case for everyone. For those of us prone to forgetting what we probably shouldn’t, putting a corkboard up and pinning things to it that you want to track is a great idea. A digital whiteboard for your home office can be even better, allowing you to freely interact and edit it as the day goes on.
A good coffee machine
If you’re not able to get the day started without a cup of hot, strong coffee, or you need that little extra dose of joe to perk you up for the last half of the day after lunch, then you might want to consider keeping a coffee machine in or close to your home office, with all of the extras you need at hand so that you can brew a cup then and there. Regular maintenance and cleaning of your coffee maker with the help of tools like a coffee grinder brush is vital, as well. You don’t want to end up getting sick because you didn’t take care of your space well enough.
Some kind of office toy
It’s important to take breaks from your work at the appropriate times. If you’ve been frying your brain over a task for a few hours, then you’re going to need not just time to sit at peace, but some distraction as well. Desk puzzles and office toys can be precisely what you need to help you momentarily tear your focus away from your work. Of course, it’s even better if you have an extra comfy seat that you can sink into when you’re not at your desk. You want to avoid spending your breaks in the same position that you do your work, or it might feel like you didn’t take a break at all.
A relaxing office plant
It’s a classic addition to any office space, but it does have positive impacts. Not only does maintaining an office plant have a certain meditative quality to it, and fits nicely into a daily work routine, but simply having a plant present has a lot of benefits. Aside from smelling nice and improving the quality of the air, an office plant can also have a relaxing quality that can help you more easily deal with stress and can help the room look a lot more complete.
The right tunes
Of course, work can be made a lot easier when you have the right music to work to, as well. Whether you use your PC or laptop speakers, or you have a Bluetooth speaker connected to your phone, make sure that you have a decent music subscription so that you can set up playlists to help you get in the zone (or relax during your break) without any interruptions.
With the examples above, hopefully, you have some idea of what you can do to make your home office more practical, more productive, and most importantly, a place that you actually want to spend time working in. You might have your own ideas to add, but these are a good place to start.
