For most, flexible working is here to stay. Here’s how you can create the ultimate home office to set you up for success.
Haven’t perfected your work from home setup just yet?
Well, the time is now! Not only is the end of financial year beckoning for you to stock up on work supplies, but we’ve got some excellent tips to help you stay focused, productive and comfortable in your home office. Here’s what you need:
1. Noise cancelling headphones
If you’re working remotely, you probably need headphones for one, if not both, of the following reasons:
- To take those work calls and Zoom meetings with sufficient audio quality, privacy and respect to any other people in your vicinity; or
- To tune out those background noises that can impact productivity.
Headphones are crucial when working from home. Picture: Caroline McCredie
Stay focused by nabbing yourself a pair of noise cancelling earbuds to hear more – or less – while you’re working.
2. A tablet
It’s not quite a smart phone, and not quite a laptop. However, the appeal of a tablet – like this one – is that it is more portable than other computers and the screen is bigger than your phone. This makes it the perfect device for answering emails on the go, reading documents on your couch, or doing any of that admin-style work that doesn’t require you to be seated at a desk.
Working from home doesn’t mean you need to be at your desk all day long. A tablet will allow you to move around the house. Picture: Caroline McCredie
Pair it with a Pillow Pad to keep the screen upright. You can take meetings while preparing lunch or take it to a cafe to start your day there.
3. A power board
So many electronics, so few powerpoints! This is likely to be particularly true if you’re in an older home where wall sockets are few and far between.
When working from home, you may find printers, shredders, phone chargers, computer screens, speakers and the rest all vying for power in your office.
From monitors to chargers, no doubt you’ll need extra powerpoints. Picture: Caroline McCredie
A reliable power board like the Spin Power is the best solution to power multiple devices at once. The Spin Power board comes with 10 powerpoints for either traditional plugs or USB chargers. Plus, it has in-built surge protection for extra safety.
4. Wi-Fi backup
It’s tough to match the connective capabilities of an office in your own home. Home internet can be tricky to predict, which is why it pays to have a back-up service should the connection go awry.
A seamless internet connection is essential when working from home. Picture: Caroline McCredie
Hotspot off your phone or buy an internet dongle for those rare occasions you need Wi-Fi back-up.
5. Stress management techniques (i.e. a massager!)
Ok, hear us out! Your office may not need a massager, but it’s certainly a nice-to-have item.
If you’re finding all the time spent at your desk is leaving you with knots and pent-up tensions, a handheld massager like the Hy-Impact Muscle Massager could be your best friend come end-of-day. The cordless device allows you to work on muscles in tricky places.
A nifty tool like the Hi-Impact Muscle Massager can get rid of those annoying niggles you may have from sitting down all day. Picture: Caroline McCredie
Remember, if you’re working from home, you should endeavour to have your home office set up ergonomically. Even still, most of us could use a bit of extra TLC after all that time spent at our desks.
Take frequent breaks and perhaps do a bit of muscle massaging on your lunch break to reduce the strain.