What Are The Home Office Essentials?

Get your home office place up and running calls for the right equipment. Underestimating the things you need to work comfortably might be the reason why you can't work effectively or concentrate on your tasks. Check out the following list of essentials you should take into account when moving to the permanent home office. 
 

Desk 

A dedicated desk or a table for your work is a must-have. It's much better for your mental health to keep the spaces where you sleep, relax or work separately. It means that you shouldn't be working at a kitchen table nor a coffee table. The goal is to create a dedicated place as you have/had in the office. If you don't have much space in your apartment, try to think out-of-the-box and find a creative solution. A folding desk, swing-out work area or any flat surface mounted to the wall could also meet the home office needs. 

External monitor

If the desk is large enough, an external monitor will also come in handy. Looking 8 hours/5 days a week into a small screen won't please your eyes. Furthermore, dividing the open windows, applications and else into two screens help you work more productively since you don't need to minimize nor reopen the tabs and windows all the time. 

Ergonomic Chair

Investing in an ergonomic chair is also essential for building your home office space. Using your kitchen chair might be working for a couple of days but not for five days/week. Take time and care to select a chair which suits you best. Ideally, don't order the chair online and go to the store to try the chairs out. A comfortable chair is vital for your overall body posture and back! 

Keyboard and Mouse

Keyboard and mouse should also become an essential part of your home office equipment. There are various brand and types (even some ergonomic ones) on the market. Similarly to the ergonomic chair, invest your time in finding out a keyboard and a mouse which would be ideal for you. Quite a lot of people are working with the ergonomic vertical mouse which might look not that comfortable but give it a try, and you'll see that it works pretty well! 

High-speed Internet Access

Without good internet access, especially if you are stuck on video calls and meetings from the morning till the end of your working day, your home office set up won't be working. Discuss with your employer if there is a chance of contributing you a monthly fee for internet access. Right, in most cases, you have a sufficient internet connection at home, but it doesn't have to be that fast to satisfy your family and your work needs. 

Headphones & Speaker

Having daily calls ask for professional headphones. Otherwise, you might end up not hearing your colleagues correctly and with soared ears. A speaker is also nice-to-have equipment. You will use it mainly if you have many video calls during a day. 

Adequate lighting

Don't underestimate the lightning! If you work till the late evening hours or the daily lightning isn't sufficient, buy a desk lamp. Proper lighting will relieve your eyes and help you concentrate on your work. Plus, learn more about the protectors you can install in your computer to filter the blue light. 

And that's it. Of course, you might also need storage space for some office essentials such as a package of paper, pens, post-it-notes or else. Furthermore, some coffee and tea lovers will also welcome some proper equipment to prepare these delicious beverages. If the home office is the new standard for you, invest in polishing your home-office working kingdom to gain a great place, where you can fully concentrate.

Tip: Learn more about the home office distractions in this article.