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To successfully and productively work from home, designating an area in your home as your work area is a must. If you’ve read my post on how to successfully work from home, you’ll know that working from home can be difficult. Along with creating a routine and building productive habits, you’ll also need an environment that helps you stay focused and get work done.
You may think that working from home means you need an office in a separate room (although that would be nice), but in fact you can make any area of your home your “office”. Whether it’s the corner of your bedroom, your living room, or at your kitchen counter, I found these Amazon must have items to make working from home 1000 times easier.
Time To Get Organized
Organization is the key to successfully work from anywhere.
Hanging File Orgnizer
I never felt the need for a hanging file organizer until I had to go through a pile of papers for 2 hours to look for a client’s phone number… And because of those two hours that were spent, this item is a MUST have.
A hanging file organizer is great to keep invoices, paperwork, receipts, and anything else you may have laying in a pile on your desk. I’ve even seen people use this plastic organizer for their pantry and even as an aquarium for fish!
The clear design will make your desk look clean and if you get cute hanging folders like these marble ones or these pastel ones, it will add a decorative touch to your workspace as you work from home.
Other hanging file organizers I love are these metal ones. This modern white one matches with everything and looks super clean. The rose gold one is perfect for your girl boss workspace.
And for those who don’t have a designated work space- the clear hanging file organizer has handles making it easy to transport your files.
Planner
Like I’ve mentioned in my Sunday routine for a productive week post, I’m a big planner. I’m obsessed with planning- I love how productive my weeks are with planning, how it de-stresses me, how I never miss or forget anything, the cute stickers to customize your weeks, everything.
I’ve always used an Erin Condren life planner- these are perfect if you’ve used a planner before. Although amazon is currently out of stock on these, you can purchase one through Erin Condren’s site. These planners come with monthly inspiration quotes, stickers, a folder to keep important notes, some contacts pages, special dates page, and a little clear zipper pouch to store things. For the almost $60 price tag, this planner will definitely be worth it if you actually use a planner.
If you are new to the planning game, I recommend getting a cheaper planner like this one. This planner is similar to the Erin Condren planner, except it doesn’t have stickers, monthly quotes or a zipper pouch (things you can easily buy from etsy). Regardless of missing a few things, I still think this planner is worth it for the price, especially if you are new to planning.
When I first started getting into planning, I had an issue of being consistent when using it- I would use it for the first half of the week then by Thursday completely check out and wouldn’t use it until Sunday night. If you currently have the same issue, this daily planner notepad is perfect! Each page can be used for any day of the week- so if you miss a day or two on your planner, you aren’t wasting any sheets.
Although I use my regular planner every day, I’ll still pick this planner notepad up to use each day. While a planner is great for planning out your week in advance, this is great to leave on your desk to see what tasks you need to get done for that day. There also is a weekly version of this notepad for planning out the week ahead. Both are perfect to have for your workspace while you work from home.
Desk Organizers
Regardless if you have a home office or are working from the living room table, a desk organizer is necessary.
This gold desk organizer is the perfect size to fit everything you need- writing utensils, your planner, paper clips, post it notes and anything else you might constantly be using. It’s small enough to not take up too much of the little space you have, yet big enough to hold all the things you need. Besides it being functional, it can also serve as a cute decorative addition to your workspace. You can get this bad boy in a variety of colors and shapes.
Equipment To Make It Easier To Work From Home
Technically you really only need a computer to work from home, but there are a few things that will make it easier to work from home.
Wireless Mouse and Keyboard
I don’t know about you, but the trackpad on a laptop can get extremely annoying after a while- working with a wireless mouse and keyboard just makes things easier.
I love this mouse and keyboard because it has a slim design, it’s spill resistant, makes no noise and has a number keypad on it. With all these features I think the price is definitely worth it.
Computer Stand
If you didn’t know, the top 1/3 of your computer monitor should be aligned with your forehead. Elevating your monitors keeps you from looking down and helps keep your spine aligned in a neutral position, putting less stress on your lower back. Having a monitor too low puts pressure on your lower back, causes your shoulders to round forward, and overall promotes bad posture.
If you’re working at a desktop (which I do most of the time), you should elevate your monitors. I elevate mine with this stand. The acrylic design makes it look like you have more space on your desk and gives your desk a modern clean look.
If you work from a laptop, this laptop stand is great to use. I love using this stand when I need a change of scenery and want to work at the kitchen counter or out on my balcony. The wireless mouse and keyboard come in handy when you have this stand!
Another laptop stand that I love is this acrylic 23” one. I love that it’s acrylic because like the desktop stand, this makes the room look less cluttered and it has a modern vibe to it. You can use it vertically sitting at the couch or even sitting in bed with it horizontally across your lap. Don’t let the price discourage your purchase on this one, the quality of this acrylic is amazing and will last you a while!
Wireless Earbuds
The closest thing to AirPods for a fraction of the price! With over 10,000 reviews and almost 5 stars, I had to get this.
If you don’t own AirPods, these are a must have. These wireless earbuds are such great quality, can easily pair to any device, has a charging case and is even waterproof. I keep these at my desk in case I need to hop on a call, if I want to listen to music, or even just want to tune out noise since these reduce any noise around you. They come in 3 colors- the pink one is my favorite!
Phone Stand
Depending on the type of work I’m doing, I like to have videos playing in the background (please tell me I’m not the only one like this).
I use this phone stand at my desk and it’s the greatest thing. It comes in multiple colors, holds almost every kind of phone, allows you to charge your phone while its resting on it and is a great price. The stand holds your phone at an angle you normally would hold it- it’s like having a third hand for just $17! Multitasking just got easier.
USB Hub/Adaptors
Why is it that almost everything needs to be connected through USB, but your computer only comes with two ports??
I find myself struggling to charge my phone, my wireless earphones, plug in my external drive and both my wireless keyboard and mouse at the same time.
A USB hub makes working not just from home, but anywhere so much easier. I got this 6-port one for only $17 and it comes it multiple colors. Using one of these eliminates a bunch of wires hanging off your desk going into an outlet, and for an extremely clean look you can get short USB wires to plug into your devices.
If you don’t need as many ports, there’s this smaller 4-port one that’s works just as well!
And for those who are working with a Macbook- I found these two adaptors that are extremely handy. This adaptor for the MacBook Air has HDMI video output, 2 USB ports, a USB-C port, a SD and a micro SD port. This Macbook Pro adaptor has 3 USB ports, 1 HDMI port, 2 SD card slots and a USB-C port. Both are reasonably priced and work great!
Self-Care = Destress = Productivity = More Work Done
I’ve talk about how important self-care is in my Sunday Routine for a productive week post. I really do believe that once you start caring more about yourself, the more productive you will be and the more work you can get done.
So on that note, here are things you don’t need but will definitely make you happier.
Comfortable Slippers
I don’t like wearing PJs or sweats while working from home because I feel like that makes me less productive. So, I get my “fix” by wear comfortable slippers all day.
These slippers are finally back in stock! Super cute and comfortable and come in a variety of colors- and the price is amazing! I wear mine every day and I always recommend them.
Mug Warmer
This one is dedicated to all the mamas out there who haven’t been able to finish her coffee while its hot. Or to anyone that likes coffee.
Sometimes it can be difficult to finish your coffee while its hot especially if you have so much work to do. I know majority of the time I make coffee I end up having to make it into iced coffee because I can’t get to it quick enough. I found this coffee mug warmer and I never had that issue again.
This coffee warmer is great because it allows you to not just warm up your coffee, but to pick the temperature you’d like it to be. I personally don’t like my coffee too hot, so this is perfect. For the price of this coffee warmer, you can get one for every possible work area in your home!
An Oil Diffuser
There are so many different oils you can diffuse and benefits for each one of them. Scents that boost your brain are peppermint, orange, and rosemary. If you’re new to oil diffusing, this starter pack is great- you get a 300 ML diffuser with 10 scents for a great price. You can use this in your workspace to boost productivity, in the kitchen for that fresh scent, or in you bedroom to relax. The best part of this diffuser is that it has different light setting and 4 different timers- so if you fall asleep or forget to turn it off, you wont waste oil!
Blue Light Glasses
After so many years of working on the computer for many hours a day, I finally got myself a pair of blue light glasses. Blue light glasses can alleviate eye discomfort, improves sleep habits, reduces glare, and can decrease your risk of macular degeneration.
There are thousands of blue light glasses on amazon, but I picked these up. These blue light glasses come in multiple colors, are very affordable and are sturdy when you wear them.
Water Bottle
Last but not least, a water bottle to remind you to drink your water! Keeping hydrated is important to get those brain juices going.
I came across this smart water bottle a few weeks ago and have been obsessed. You can connect this bottle to an app and set a timer for every time you need to drink water. When the time comes, the bottle will light up reminding you to drink your water. If you’re someone who struggles to remember to drink enough water throughout the day, this is a great item. And if you’re someone who drinks water, this is a great item for you too.
This is a great item- can you tell I love it?
Whether you’re working from home temporary or permanently, these items are sure to make working from home a little easier! What are your must have items for working from home?