Since only a few companies and firms in India had a culture of working from home, many of us don’t have a dedicated comfortable space where we can sit and work for long hours continuously. It also becomes difficult to stay focused and concentrate on your work with such a cozy environment around and your bed being just a few steps away. In the comfort of the home, it becomes extremely challenging to enter into work mode mentally without physically leaving your house and along with all other distractions.
How do you even get inspired and keep yourself motivated with umpteen challenges while working in a cozy surrounding of your home?
While we failed to consider a working setup necessary until one-month back, it is now the time to thoughtfully create the right work setup for yourself which surely will be a worthy investment of your time and money and also help you cope with the many challenges while remote working.
We have meticulously curated a list together for all the essentials you need for remote working for maximum efficiency, to keep yourself motivated, and definitely make your life a little easier.
Come on, let’s set up your happy workplace!
1. Dedicated workspace
Sit anywhere and work from home? A BIG NO.
Create a dedicated workspace for yourself, it can be a study table, your dining table, or a floor sitting set up in a corner of your house. Make sure that space is available to you for your working hours and you don’t have to shift from one place to another. Creating a dedicated workspace will not only help you stay focused by removing the distractions around but also keep you motivated to work every day.
2. Worktable
You are slumped over a corner for work all day long, your neck craned over, and what was previously an annoying ache in your lower back has turned into something that’s affecting your work and well-being. Walking around and stretching only provides temporary relief, so do not compromise on your well-being by compromising on something which you are going to use an average of 6 hours daily (or less? maybe more).
There are various types of work table options available- a fixed table, a stand-alone table, or a small portable space-saving table which are not only very functional but reasonable too.
You can go for a standalone table with proper and comfortable height, the ideal height of a work table should be around 30 to 32 inches. It is also very important to have a good ergonomic (designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment) chair which gives support to the back by promoting a sitting posture that allows proper alignment of the shoulders, hips, and spine. This reduces abnormal strain on the body and prevents harmful positions such as slouching and forward head. Prefer an adjustable one if you are working for longer hours.
If you prefer sitting on the floor and working just like me, you can opt for space-saving foldable tables, which are not only very handy but also very comfortable while working. There are a lot of options available for study tables which are also very reasonable to buy.
3. Light around you
Make sure you have a good amount of natural light penetrating in your workplace at home, having natural light coming through increases concentration and focus. A naturally lit space will help you be more productive than an artificially lit work environment. Increased natural light during the day helps you sleep better, also reduces stress and anxiety so that you’re well-rested and on the ball for work the next day. So open your blinds and let that light come in, your body will thank you for this.
Use a soft desk lamp with adequate light for late evenings, the soft glow will give that warm and cozy feeling while ending up within your work hours. On the flip side, working in dimly lit environments where screens are the main light source strains your eyes which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and blurred vision. Lighting is very important to avoid eye strain and set up a mood to get into work mode.
4. Organizers / Trays
Don’t fall into building mountains on your desk.
Keep all your clutter out of sight, but in easy reach within your computer/ Laptop, use trays or organizers which are readily available online. You can also make your DIY (do it yourself) trays (if you have some spare time, won’t take more than 30 mins), use empty cartons of Amazon, Flipkart, or any other and wrap it up with a nice paper or decorate it as you want. Check out the below image for your reference.
Segregate your clutter in three boxes- one for papers and files of your office, second for all types of equipment like charger, power bank, headphones, USB, etc., and third for stationery (you can use stationery stand as well).
This is my way of segregating and keeping things around me as organized as possible, figure out how it can work for you.
5. Greens, art, and fragrance
Home office setup is not just about having all the essential supplies and gadgets related to work, let’s also understand that as humans we are sensitive to our surroundings. While these may seem least important to put up while working from home, it doesn’t just add to the aesthetics but also improve your mental well-being and health.
Adding some house plants or small planters like bamboo, aloe vera or a succulent, putting up artwork on the wall or keeping it on the desk, essential oils for some scent if you like it, all these little things will help you elevate your mood, boost your productivity and enhance the atmosphere around for your daily workflow.
6. Soft board or a whiteboard
Don’t you love pinning up your tasks on pinboards and scribbling on a whiteboard or are you not normal? (just kidding)
In between staring on the monitor or laptop screens, pinboards and whiteboards are a great fun way for scratch work, scribbling ideas, brainstorming, setting down your goals, and also conceptualizing.
7. Stationery supplies
Make a list of all essential stationery supplies that you need while working so that you don’t have to run around to find them and also don’t miss out on any. I would recommend getting a journal, for me, an everyday journal or a planner is very important to jot down my to-do list for the day and also all other important tasks, along with this some colored pens, u clips, calculator, and everything else which you need while working.
Don’t forget to keep them in a holder or a box.
8. Miscellaneous
Consider buying noise-canceling headphones for you to work peacefully, without getting disturbed by sudden noises so that you can focus on the workload in front of you.
If you prefer sitting on the floor and working, consider using a floor cushion and also a pillow for your back, and the most important thing is to keep a big bottle of water beside you, don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated all day long.
Covid-19 is the biggest elephant in the room right now and has put a halt to the routine life of billions. Getting back to the previous normal is a faraway dream, hence let’s adapt ourselves to the new normal and talk about remote working, these small investments will make a big difference. Working from home with appropriate essentials goes a long way in creating a productive, fulfilled positive environment around you. Since none of us really know when we will be back in our regular offices, we should make wise investments for setting up our home offices right.