The great thing about working from home is you have the whole house as your office. Thanks to Wi-Fi, you can station yourself one day in the kitchen, lounge on the living room sofa the next day while you’re in your PJs, or stay in bed and put your laptop on your breakfast tray one morning. No, PJs aren’t must-haves for your home office, but they sure are comfy!
However comfortable your situation is, you will often need to settle in a spot in the house that is conducive for work. It can be any cozy corner or nook, where the temperature is perfect, the foot traffic is minimal (although the kids and pets are welcome), and the view outside is beautiful (bonus).
Must-Haves for Your Home Office
Your office home should have everything and anything that matters to your business or work. And instead of the sterile and boring look that a typical office station offers, yours can reflect personality and style.
What goes into this home office? Listed below are 11 must-haves for your home office.
1. Ergonomic Chair
Back pain is a serious problem brought by prolonged hours of sitting or slouching. Against this backdrop, consider investing in an ergonomic chair. It takes into account a person’s physical proportions, providing many adjustments to support the lower spine, feet, arms, and elbows. Thus, you are encouraged to sit, move, or stand properly.
2. Desk
What is a chair without a desk? You can go the ergonomic route with the standing-desk types. Or go back to basic with those sleek and minimalist designs offering only a tabletop. If you need lots of supplies, you can stick to a desk with lots of drawers or shelves.
3. Lighting
Make sure your overhead lighting fixture illuminates the room without being too bright or harsh. An alternative is recessed lighting to create a dramatic effect. Then, you can select a desk lamp as your primary light source.
4. Internet Boost
There are many reasons as to why the Wi-Fi signal is weak in your home office. You may have to check the router or add a switch to your home network and shift to a wired connection for your computer. It is also possible that you need a device to eliminate your wireless connection’s dead zones.
5. All-in-one Printer
Do you deal with receipts, invoices, tax filings, and other records for your business? A multi-function printer is a must for your bookkeeping needs. If your print jobs are few and far between (e.g., plane tickets), you can hold on to a laser printer because it’s cost-effective in the long run.
6. UPS
Also known as an uninterruptible power supply, this equipment protects you from data loss in case of a power failure. The UPS also serves as a shield from surges or fluctuations that can damage the computer or its power supply unit. Even if you are using a laptop, having this equipment is a file saver.
7. Telephone
You are your boss in your sole proprietorship practice; you are responsible for everything, including answering and making phone calls. Place your telephone in an area where you can easily reach it while working.
8. Comfortable Chair
A chaise lounge or any sofa that is snug is great for breaks. A short nap can make a difference in your mood, alertness and performance. Set the couch against the window, and give your brain and eyes a few minutes of rest.
9. Planner
You usually know full well how your day is going to turn out, which tasks to work on, and so forth. But you can have a planner to write down certain things you don’t commit to memory, such as your planned naps and vitamins, or take notes from the client’s meeting earlier. As you spend the day tinkering with your computer, writing on paper at the end of a long day can be therapeutic.
10. Computer
Is it a desktop or a laptop computer? Laptops provide flexibility and mobility to work anywhere inside or outside the house, while desktop computers provide permanence and, often, stable internet connection. The choice can be challenging to make, but you can start with the device that consumes less energy in the house.
11. USB Hub
Although laptops can compete with desktops in terms of performance, they are designed to be light and compact for portability. This design is a factor as to why laptop computers have fewer USB ports; they can have slots for HDMI, memory cards, Ethernet, etc. though. You can get past this limitation with a laptop docking station that offers multiple USB ports and powerful speeds. Some of these hubs have metal housing to withstand wear and tear.
Finally, you have a work space you can call your own. Are you feeling productive just by thinking about furnishing this home office?
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