For many of us, working from home sounded like a dream. You wake up, brew yourself a cup of coffee, and take your time getting ready for the day. Around 9 a.m., you settle into a comfy chair and flip open your laptop for a stress-free day of answering emails and working on whatever projects are coming up that day.
Unfortunately, reality doesn’t quite match the fantasy. As it turns out, working from home isn’t necessarily easier – it just has its own unique benefits (and difficulties).
The culprit is often home office space (or lack thereof). Without a dedicated space to work, it can be difficult to focus on the task at hand. Productivity experts agree that having a dedicated space to work in every day can do wonders for focus and efficiency. (1)
While having your own space is great, you should also pay attention to the quality of that space, both practically and visually. If your home office consists of nothing more than a dingy corner desk with your laptop perched on top, it’s probably time to consider an upgrade. After all, you spend a large portion of your day working in that space.
Things like natural light, greenery, and cleanliness can benefit your office. However, there are plenty of tech improvements you can make to make your home office a more productive, enjoyable and efficient place to work. Here are 10 of our favorites.
1. A high-quality desk and chair
While this isn’t the most technical item on this list, it’s arguably the most important. Your desk and chair are two items that will be in direct contact with your body for almost the entire time you work from home. You should make sure that they serve you well. What type of desk should you look for? If you haven’t tried it yet, a standing desk may be a good option. Some studies suggest that working at a standing desk can significantly increase productivity at work. (2)
2. A good internet connection
You’ll need an Internet plan with enough bandwidth to support you and everyone else in your household while you work from home. Check with your ISP for a better deal (there’s bound to be one).
If your internet connection goes down, consider a mobile hotspot device as a backup plan. You should also consider investing in a wifi booster system that can improve connectivity in your office. You don’t want to spend time waiting for videos to buffer or Zoom meetings to connect.
3. headphones with noise cancelation
As much as we try to optimize our office environment, the reality is that it’ll never be perfect. Kids and pets will still make noise, construction sites will go on right outside our door, and the general hustle and bustle of life will interfere with our best efforts to get things done.
A good pair of noise-canceling headphones can save you a lot of time by reducing the distractions in your life. A really good pair will have features like automatic call pausing and active noise cancelation (as opposed to white noise).
4. The right lighting
Lighting is a crucial factor when it comes to concentration, mood and productivity. Our first recommendation in this category is rather non-technical, but still crucial: a window. Natural light is the ideal light for concentration, calm and productivity. If your office isn’t near a window or skylight, relocate it. Do whatever it takes to get natural light into the space where you work.
The negative effects of fluorescent lighting are well documented. (3) Aside from looking and feeling a bit drab (and reminding us of too many episodes of The Office), they can have serious effects on your mood and health. Other negative effects include migraines, anxiety, eyestrain, and general stress.
What’s the solution? If you’ve overhead fluorescent lights, turn them off. Buy a pack of bulbs in warm colors or LED in conjunction with a nice lamp or two. If you’re looking for a cutting-edge or customizable solution, look no further than Philips Hue light bulbs. They allow you to make color choices for your clients from your phone, along with some other handy features.
5. Mouse, keyboard and monitor
If you work primarily with a laptop, a large monitor can take the strain off your eyes. A high-quality, ergonomic mouse and keyboard can also be a great help.
Optimizing your workspace is all about eliminating the little inconveniences that don’t seem like a big deal at the moment, but add up over time. Replacing your old, dusty mouse with a shiny new one can boost your productivity tremendously.
6. diffusers and candles
A nice essential oil diffuser can lift your mood when you’re working from home. It also provides a nice visual distraction – the steam rising from the diffuser can be strangely relaxing. You should also get a few candles to light while you’re at work, for when the stress starts to build.
7. Webcam
Laptop webcams are notoriously poor quality. If you’re tired of seeing a pixelated version of yourself in Zoom meetings, you should invest in a higher quality one that can go the distance.
8. An ember mug
The Ember mug is a coffee mug that keeps your drink at the exact temperature you set on your phone. If that doesn’t sound amazing, you’ve probably never put your morning coffee away for a few minutes, gotten distracted, and found a cold, stale cup waiting for you. Sure, you can microwave it, but it just doesn’t taste as good anymore.
With the Ember mug, you can set a precise temperature via a mobile app. The perfect solution for a coffee snob who recently has to work from home.
9. A foam roller
Foam rollers that vibrate and help massage the knots in your back are a must-have, especially if you sit at a desk all day. Release the tension in your back and give yourself a much-needed break from the time you spend hunched over your computer screen.
10. Suspension trainer / pull-up bar
Exercise is important for staying focused and productive. If you find that you get restless sitting in your desk chair all day, a few pull-ups or TRX exercises can make a big difference.
Sources
- https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article211602939.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580641/
- https://www.thoughtco.com/how-fluorescent-lights-affect-you-1206641
