WFH OFFICE ESSENTIALS
I’ve officially been working from home for over a year now, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share my must have items that keep me organised, motivated and inspired.
Working from home can be challenging at times, but also very rewarding. You have the flexibility to choose your own starting time and work schedule, wear what you want, have less distractions from co-workers, choose our own music playlist and decorate your office the way you want.
The below list is in no particular order and isn’t sponsored.
1. DAILY PLANNER
This is probably one of my most important desk essentials. Every morning the first thing I do is organise my to do list for the day. I write down the smallest & easiest tasks first, all the way up to the harder/longer tasks (as ticking off those smaller things early in the day makes you feel like you’re being productive and accomplishing your daily goals). I constantly add to the list throughout the day and highlight things once they’re completed. Then at the end of the day if there are any tasks I didn’t get completed I will write them on the following day straight away. I use An Organised Life daily planner, as there is so much space to plan out each day. I also have created my own daily planner which you can download for FREE by signing up to my mailing list on my website.
An organised life
2. ASANA
I’ve been using Asana for about 4 years now. I use it every day to keep track of my past, current and future projects. Asana is a web and mobile application which helps you manage, track, connect and organise your business. This means if you don’t have your laptop with you, you can still organise your projects on your phone. I also share project boards with clients for a more streamline and collaborative process (especially when it comes to website design). I also integrate Asana with Clockify to track the time spent on each project (I use this to help calculate my hourly rate on projects for future quoting). asana.com clockify.me.
3. LAPTOP COMPUTER/DESKTOP
Whether you have a laptop, desktop computer or monitor screens it’s totally up to you. My setup is a Macbook Pro with a large amount of storage and processing power so it works fast with all of my programs, and has enough space to store all of my projects. I then connect my laptop to a 32inch screen so I have a large space to work with. When I have client meetings or work in a cafe for the day, I disconnect my laptop from my screen and take it with me (I’m all about versatility and flexible working styles).
4. HEADPHONES (for podcasts and music)
For me, listening to podcasts is a big part of what motivates me everyday. I have a huge list of podcasts that I switch between. It’s one of the first things I do in the morning, while I sit down to write my to do list and sort through my emails, I listen to creative/business podcasts. They help motivate and excite me in my business. From creating seamless client processes, new business ideas to provoking creative ideas. If I start to find it hard to concentrate on a podcast, especially when I have difficult tasks to concentrate on, I then switch over to listening to music. I find music helps drown out all the external noises and focus on the task at hand. Click here to see some of my favourite podcasts.
5. ERGONOMIC OFFICE CHAIR
We spend most of our working days sitting at our desk. So it is very important to have an adjustable and ergonomic chair which promotes a good posture. A bad posture at work can cause headaches, neck strain and sore backs, which can lead to being un-happy at work and long term health issues. Link to my office chair.
6. LIGHTING
A well lit space makes a huge difference. The best option would be to set up your desk near a window with natural light, as this can help with eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision. The use of lamps will also help if you have no natural lighting, a cool light can help wake you up, and is good for working and concentration. Whereas warm lights will help you relax and wind down at the end of the day. WeWork has a good article about workspace lighting.
7. WATER JUG & COFFEE MUG
In order to be productive throughout the day we need to stay hydrated. That means keeping on top of our water intake. The best way I found to do this is to either have a water jug at your desk that you can constantly top up your glass with or a large water bottle. As we all know we can get lazy and not walk that short distance to the kitchen sink or water cooler. I always go for a non plastic and thermal option so my coffees and water stays the correct temperature for longer (and they are a great addition to the desk decor). My favourite brands are: kinto, frank green, hydro flask, no 22, fazeek
8. INSPO MAGS/BOOKS
It’s always good to get away from the digital space that we are all so addicted to and get back to the good old magazines and books for inspiration. I love reading how other start-ups have grown, seeing the latest trends for interiors & homewares and what other creatives from around the world are up to. Here are a list of a few book & magazines I go to for inspiration: Cereal, Kinfolk, Frankie, Monocle, Startup creative, Inprint, Inspo Finds
9. IPAD with Procreate
One of my favourite items I use to help with my design work is my Ipad. I use it to create unique logos, typography and illustrations. It can also double as a daily planner (there are a range of editable daily planners out there) or you can load your favourite and latest books onto it for a lunch time or after work read.
10. CANDLE /INCENSE BURNER
To help create a calming and a non-stressful environment, I like to either have a candle lit, an incense burning or air humidifiers in the room. These can help keep your skin hydrated (especially if your in air-con all day), eliminate any kitchen or musky smells, and create a beautiful scented space that you’re happy to spend all day working in. My favourites are: The luxurite Addition Studio Heartwood
11. FACIAL SPRAY
This may seem like a strange WFH essential, but trust me it makes a huge difference. When i’m feeling a bit tired, from working all day and staring at the screen, I spray some of the mist onto my face for a refreshing mood change. My go to spray is from Mario Badescu
12. PLANTS
Bring the outside in with some natural plants, so that your office space isn’t too clinical, bare and boring (no plastic or fake ones allowed). Creating a tranquil environment using trees, plants or flowers (which we all love) can help with our workplace satisfaction increasing our happiness, productivity as well as the air quality.
13. HARD DRIVE (For Backups)
Last but absolutely not least is a hard drive. One of the most important items for any office. Since we are spending all day creating, designing and downloading we need to make sure we are constantly saving and backing up our work. Because if the worst were to happen and our computers die, break or even worse get stolen, we need to make sure everything is backed up daily. Especially if you’ve been working on large projects for clients over several months - you wouldn’t want to lose it. Ideally having a hard drive that has 1-2TB of space minimum (a solid state hard drive would be best, as it can be moved and is better to travel with if you need to go to meetings etc) as well as an online cloud option.
