5 Office Space Must Haves
Although the Covid-19 pandemic is seemingly winding down, the virus has undoubtedly altered aspects of life in ways that will endure into the long-term. Working from home has been one such change for many people in the world and, despite decreasing numbers of coronavirus cases, many careers in the workforce are shifting to continuing to support the home as a main work environment.
The benefits of working from home are numerous; more time spent with family, less time spent commuting, and home cooked meals three meals a day to name a few. Despite these perks, working from home introduces obstacles either unforeseen or atypical when working at the office. Below are ways that you can proactively help yourself to work more effectively and limit distractions at your home work space.
1. Laptop Stand 
Sitting at a desk all day while working frequently leads to inevitable neck and back problems. To encourage and preserve good posture, invest in a laptop stand! A laptop stand is a portable stand that your laptop can sit on so that the screen is elevated. Instead of suffering from a strained neck and back from looking down at your computer screen all day, you can maintain great posture by using a laptop stand. Because a laptop stand is incredibly portable, you can also change up your work area if you are feeling stir crazy in your usual office space and use your laptop rather than always needing a desktop.
2. Blue Light Glasses 
In addition to your neck and back, working on a device all day can also strain your eyes. Whether you usually wear glasses or not, purchasing a pair of blue light glasses can protect your eyes from the harm of screens and reduce the risk of persistent and intense headaches from frequent screen time. Luckily, blue light glasses are super popular right now! You can get them from Walmart, an online store, or even get the blue light filter built into your prescription lenses.
3. External Hard Drive 
We live in a digital world. If all of your work is saved to only your laptop, you might be in trouble. What if you spill your coffee on or drop your laptop? If you think those scenarios are highly unlikely, consider the fact that sometimes, laptops just crash without warning. Regardless, it is crucial to have an external hard drive to ensure that all of your work and data is stored in a safe place. External hard drives can be purchased at home office stores or online.
4. Notepad 
Despite the importance or urgency of your work assignment, it can be very easy to get distracted. Distractions are frequently not bad, whether they come from surroundings or just your own thoughts. But, distractions keep one from being as focused as possible on the necessary, most important task at hand. One way to ease disturbances during work is by keeping a notepad nearby. When things cross your mind or you think of something that you need to get done, write it quickly on your notepad. This way, you will be sure not to forget those thoughts and be able to get focused again without the fear of forgetting thoughts you had earlier during your working hours.
5. Focus Apps
Another tool that can help you stay focused as you work from home is a focus app. You can get an app specifically engineered and designed to help you better focus on the tasks that you need to complete. Find an app that will help you in your efforts to focus.
Authored by Lauren Woodbury
