Must have items for your home office help you be more productive. When you don’t have them, life is harder.
You miss them being around. It messes with your “mojo”, your workflow, and you feel less awesome without them.
If you work at home, then there are things you have to have if you want to be productive and enjoy your workspace.
Creating A Beautiful Home Office
I love being able to work from home. Even before I became a mom, I enjoyed being my own boss and working in my home office.
At that time it was a tiny bedroom, in a tiny house, in a tiny Midwest town. I had just enough room for my work table and a little desk space. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.
I spent many days in that little room creating pretty things to sell at craft shows or ship off to stores.
I had the company of a couple of furbabies; one liked to plop down in the middle of workspace or dig through my trash bin.
Nowadays, I still feel the happiest working at home. I have my pets by my side keeping me company.
And I still have certain must-have items in my home office that help me be productive and comfortable while I work.
Top 5 Must Have Items
1) A Comfortable Chair
There is almost nothing that can ruin your ability to work productively than a bad chair.
Desk chairs are not all alike. They are designed for different uses. Some are made for short term use, called task chairs. You use these when you sit for short periods.
Then there are desk chairs made for sitting 2-3 hours at a time. If you sit in either of chairs your entire workday, your back and bum will be sore.
Even if you get up every hour for a short break, I recommend you look for a chair that is made for long periods of sitting.
These desk chairs are sometimes called executive chairs. They are shaped and cushioned for maximum body support. I wouldn’t be able to work without one.
There are executive chairs to fit in with the home decor in different styles and colors.
2) The Perfect Desk
I’m super picky about my desks. And there’s a good reason. I’ve realized that if I’m going to spend my days sitting in front of a piece of furniture, it needs to fits my needs well.
My checklist for a great desk includes its height. It can be too short or tall for my arms to rest on it while I type.
The wrong height increases wrist, arm, and shoulder fatigue. An adjustable chair like I just spoke about can help this problem with some desks.
Next on the checklist is it needs to give you space to work. You can’t work on a tiny desk with no room to write or spread out paperwork.
Next, it should durable and solid. It shouldn’t feel fragile and wobbly when you work.
Lastly, you want it to have a style so it fits in with your home decor, especially if your office space is in your living room or bedroom.
There’s a desk for any budget, space or style you want.
3) Good Lighting
Having the right lighting is needed if you want to see what you’re working on! If your lighting is too dim or too bright you eyes will tire quickly.
I personally prefer to have a good desk lamp on my desk and a couple of other lights nearby for background light.
It evens out the light in the room without being too much like an overhead light can be.
Pick a lamp that fits your desk space without taking up too much workroom. Make sure it’s a good height that you aren’t staring into the bulb or it only shines on a small area.
I’ve experienced both with lamps in the past and neither are on my desk anymore!
A desk lamp doesn’t have to be ugly either. Choose one that compliments the room and your style.
4) Ample Storage
There’s nothing more frustrating than not having any place to keep your office supplies.
If your desk is piled up with folders, papers, and other miscellaneous than you won’t have room to work.
Start with your desk surface and get a fun container for your pens and pencils. Look for a compact desktop organizer to store items you use daily. Put all the other items away in a drawer or nearby basket.
A file box to store papers will keep them organized and out of sight but still close by when you need them.
5) A Reliable Computer
While all five on the list are important, the most important is having a reliable computer.
If you work online as I do, you can’t do anything without your computer. I’d be lost without mine.
When you pick a computer, consider what’s important to you. Desktops and Laptops each have pros and cons.
Desktop computers usually cost a little less than a laptop with similar specs.
They are easier to upgrade the RAM, etc. And you can choose accessories like the size of monitor you want to use.
They usually have the ability to be directly connected to your modem (which is important for many phone-type jobs).
A laptop is all about portability. If you like taking your work with you about the house or outside the home, then a laptop may be for you.
Check the specs of the laptop before you buy to see if can be directly connected to your modem, if that’s a “must-have” for you.
Other optional features can include a dvd/disc drive. Once these were standard in all computers, are now only in some models.
Gah, a reliable computer is a MUST HAVE!! There really is nothing like pouring your brain into a document, or some kind of work, only to have it all erased in a computer crash or something equally as frustrating! A steaming cup of coffee is also a must-have in my office!! Ha – thanks for sharing <3
Yes, the last you want is to have your computer crash and lose your work!
A reliable computer is something I have struggled with over the past few years. I have gone through 3 laptops because something ends up going wrong. I am doing more research when it comes to purchases like this.