18 Must Have Items Will Improve Your Work From Home Experience
It’s officially time for us to join the rest of the world and stay inside. Assuming you didn’t just end up losing your job altogether, odds are that you are now forced to work entirely from home. Time to clean out that dusty space you swore up and down that you’d use as an office, but just ended up turning into another cluttered storage room! Once it’s all cleared and dusted, don’t forget to pick up or order these 18 must-have items that will undoubtedly improve your work from home experience!
1. Lap Desk
What better thing to start our list of must-have items that will make your work from home experience better than with this sucker? Whether you were caught off guard and didn’t set up a home office, or if you just prefer to work on the couch or the bed you will definitely want a lap desk in your life – especially if you… you know… have to use your laptop on your lap. It gives you a nice work area no matter where you are, and it keeps a nice solid layer between your poor legs and the burning inferno that is the bottom of that laptop after it’s been on for more than 10 minutes. Some even have fans to keep your laptop cool!
2. Suspended Office Storage
Maybe you have an office at home, but odds are you really haven’t used it much in comparison to the one from work. We don’t know how long this COVID-19 pandemic will last, but even if it’s more than a week, you can be assured that things are likely going to pile up. You need to organize – you can’t just have a pile of loose papers and you’re too classy to have basic metal filing cabinets – what is this an evidence locker? With suspended storage for your documents, files, pens, and such, you can stay organized and keep everything spacious and classy!
3. Scented Candles
It’s getting a little stuffy at your home office, you don’t have time to care for a friggin’ plant, and don’t even get me started on the accumulative stank of those silent-but-deadly farts. What you need in your life are scented candles! They not only cover whatever foul odors that are bound to accumulate in an occupied room, but they’re therapeutic as well, assuming you get the candle scent that’s just right for you!
4. Wireless All-In-One Printer
Wireless, all-in-one, AND a printer! Seriously though, no more work printer now that you’re stuck at home – so odds are you’re definitely going to need one. With that in mind, why not make it convenient, wireless, and accessible?
5. Charging Station
Odds are you’re going to need more outlets than you’ve got, especially for the Knick-knack tech like phones, tablets, headphones and so forth. If your outlet options are limited for competitive reasons, you have even more of an excuse to get this item.
6. Office Plants
Every now and again, you need to look away from your work. If you don’t have a dog to walk, or you’re concerned that if you sit down to watch TV or play video games you won’t be able to get away from it, maybe you could try getting a house plant. They’re relatively easy to tend to, and they’ll give you a brief as well as a therapeutic reason to take your mind off work, if only but for a moment. Plus they’re great for freshening up a stale workspace and making the room look great! If you have an office with a lot of access to sunlight, maybe try a money tree, or if you’re looking for something that’s low maintenance, why not a sturdy little succulent?
7. Headphones
Let’s be honest, there’s no telling how long you’ll be stuck at home at this point. Workplaces are starting to shift gears now towards keeping their employees at home. Unfortunately, home isn’t always the best work environment, with loud and perpetual distractions from one thing to the next. That’s why you need headphones! But not just any headphones! If you’ve got the scratch, get them wireless and sound-canceling. You might not hear when the nukes go off but ignorance is bliss I suppose, especially when you’re somewhere in the blast-radius…
8. Laptop Stand
Perfect for keeping your laptop at eye level and the keyboard, not at that weird angle where you need to adjust your head above it to see. What’s more, it makes your workspace look fancy and professional AF!
9. File Organizer
Because you need to organize your files, duh! I would recommend that you get a light, see-through, and easily accessible organizer, though I suppose you could get a metal filing cabinet if you want to feel like a private detective or something…
10. Humidifier
It’s good to have clear breathing indoors, especially when you’re stuck there for however long this pandemic lasts. Plus if congestion is a symptom of COVID-19, I’m sure a humidifier will come in handy if you end up contracting it.
11. Gaming Console
If you’re working from home you need a break every once in a while. Sadly, there’s not much to do in terms of getting away from the grind with a pandemic going on, so why not turn to the virtual world? Get an XBOX 1, PlayStation 4, or maybe a couple of PC games if you’ve got a tower or a laptop with the proper storage space and processing speed. Just try not to let that break turn into a 48-hour binge…
12. Study Lamp
It’s easy for the eyes to strain after reading or writing for too long, even in a well-lit room. After a while, it’s just a pain to focus enough to keep reading or squinting at the keyboard. A reading lamp is the easiest fix to this issue.
13. Mini Fridge
Where else are you going to put your work snacks, sodas and energy drinks (and beer)? Also, it’ll be great if you have to get quarantined in your office!
14. Mouse
You might have been avoiding it, but now your laptop is now your home computer. It’s best to put it at a desk of you can and if so, you need a mouse for seamless pointing and clicking.
15. Varidesk
Whether you have back issues, or just get cramped after sitting at your desk for so long that your chair may as well be your ass’s Siamese twin, this is the workspace for you! You can adjust it allowing you to work while standing as well as sitting – helping you stay comfortable for the long haul. If you prefer the standing, however, you might consider getting a rubber mat or something to stand on. Standing for 6-10 hours a pop can catch up with you real quick.
16. Desk Fan
When the heat of summer hits, the best place you can be is next to a fan, so why not get a fan you can put right in front of your overheating face to keep you cool for the whole workday! Plus it’ll get the air circulating, which you desperately need now that you’re going to be stuck there for a while.
17. Wall Decor
Now that you’re stuck in the office you never used as much as you thought you would, you may as well add some art and decor in that sad room. Throw up a tapestry, hang some posters, or whatever else floats your boat! It’s your world! Literally, that’s going to be your entire world for a little while so might as well make it comfortable.
18. Dual Monitors
From seamless window-switching to an overcrowded desktop, dual monitors are an absolute must-have item for anyone trying to work from home!
