I have been working from home for 10 years. These are 8 things you need to get effective results.
I’ve been working from home for ten years, since #WFH wasn’t even coined yet. Even though it didn’t allow me to see colleagues too often, I preferred it even then because of increasing productivity (no time spent in traffic or small talks). Ten years is a long time to focus on one activity, so I’ll present the things that would help anyone do a more efficient work at home:
1. The absolute must have when you’re working from home is a high quality internet connection. This is a given, but most people thought they already have the best connection when they chose the fastest option offered by their internet provider. Check your upload and download speed at speedtest.net. We hardwire our connection at home with an Ethernet CAT cable, and that makes our download speed 5 times faster compared to the speed without the hardwired cable. You could buy the cable from Best Buy, Target or Amazon.
2. I can work on any desk, but I need a high back ergonomic chair that supports my lumbar and back. If you don’t have that, then a lumbar support pillow would help. In a day, you’d feel the difference of working on your dining room chair versus an ergonomic chair. After a few weeks, your back would thank you.
3. This is a small item, but very indispensable. A cup cooler would keep your coffee or tea cool for hours while you work. It gives a small comfort to find that your beverage’s temperature is always to your liking, in addition to saving you a trip to the kitchen. In cooler weather, activate the warm function of this ingenious beverage cooler and warmer, so you could use it year round.
4. If you communicate a lot with people, a Bluetooth headset would allow you to discuss important things while doing even more important things (like preparing lunch or playing with your pet). A USB headset that connects to your computer would allow seamless, clear web-based communication, which is a must to avoid miscommunication later.
5. I mentioned earlier that any desk is fine, however a file cabinet and/or drawer cabinet is essential. A lot of important documents are backed by cloud storage, but I keep my most recent documents in their hard copy form. After that, I scan and upload them into cloud storage and shred the documents. Ikea, Wayfair and Amazon sell very good options.
6. A cross cut or microcut, high security shredder, like this one.
7. A yoga mat is space efficient but great for stretching out tired muscles. If you’re not much into yoga, this back stretcher is good for your lumbar and back areas.
8. This is a luxury, but having a massage chair or recliner with a massage mat would relax your body and melt your stress away. Some people prefer meditation, which is totally fine. Do what you think is best for you. I believe it’s important to prepare myself mentally and physically for the next day of hard work. When you feel healthy, it’s easy to welcome each day eagerly and happily.
I hope this would help some people work better from home. It is possible to work efficiently even far away from the support of your office and colleagues. After some time, some people might find that they prefer it (I know I do).
