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Work From Home Setup – Overview
Just 2 years ago, I was thinking of how nice it would be to work from home, skip the traffic, avoid the rush, have extra time to enjoy your coffee, and just be in your zen bubble while you do your work. Dreams do come true? I guess.
Who would have thought that most of us would be working from home? However, as much as we’re enjoying the benefits of this setup, there are still outside factors that I’m sure are worrying us all.
I know not all of us have extra rooms that we can convert to a home office, so let me help you set up your own space that could make you more productive.
First and foremost, start saving space in your home office with a dual monitor stand. Here are the rest of the things you’ll need:
1. A Good Laptop or Computer
You’ll need this. Yes, you can do research, documents, and presentations on your phone, tablet, or iPad, but wouldn’t that be much easier and faster to do on a laptop?
Bigger screen space is just more comfortable to use, and depending on what kind of work you’ll be doing, you need to get something that can handle your work.
If you are up for using a docking station to connect your laptop to desktop monitors, you can focus your budget more on CPU over screen size.
A laptop with a poor CPU will only slow you down.
2. Stable Desk / Laptop Stand
This is your workspace. Finance Associate Daniel Kim said, “Working from your bed and couch may seem convenient and even more comfortable, but in the long run, it puts you in the wrong mental state to get meaningful work done.” which is true.
You’ll need to find or get a table solely for your work, so when you’re in that spot, you’ll feel it’s work time.
3. Ergonomic Chair
Why can’t it be just any chair? Well, you can use just about any. No one’s stopping you. You can use your dining chair all you want, but will you be comfortable sitting on it for 8 hours or more?
An ergonomic chair provides lower back support, promotes good posture, and helps alleviate back pain. It is specifically designed to be used by people who work long hours sitting down.
4. Headsets / Headphones / Earphones / Earbuds
A good headset can be handy for a call to listen to music while working. For online calls, a headset makes it easier to hear the person we’re talking to and clearer for them to hear us back.
Noise-canceling earbuds or headsets are great for tuning out the world and focusing on what you’re doing.
Hearing outside noises while you adjust the sound and music on your computer makes work hard to do. Learn more about How Noise Canceling Works.
5. Webcam
Whether connecting with your colleagues, taking business meetings or calls, joining conferences, or virtually face meeting your client, we’re now using video calls more than ever, and a good webcam is vital.
Laptops are equipped with built-in cameras, but some do not have great quality.
If you’re using a desktop computer, you must get a good webcam.
Having a standalone webcam will improve your video quality and make it clearer for the person on the other end.
6. Cloud Storage
Let me give you a tip: stop using external drives to store your files. Just two months ago, my external drive broke and wouldn’t open.
Tons and tons of animated projects and files were lost, and I could do nothing about it. I wouldn’t want that happening to you, so I suggest you get cloud storage.
I use Amazon Cloud Drive and am happy with it so far. There are many providers, such as Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive.
7. Mousepad with Gel Wrist Rest
If you spend most of your workday using a mouse, you might strain your wrist or, in the long run, suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. The soft gel wrist rest will support your arm and hand while you work and help you avoid these issues.
8. WiFi Connection
None of the above will matter if you don’t have a stable internet connection in your home office.
Investing in a strong WiFi connection is worth it, especially if you participate in Zoom meetings. If you have a separate room for your home office, a wifi router for a large home can come in handy.
You can also use a wifi extender to strengthen your existing router’s signals.
You can add more to your workspace to make things fun and lighter. You can add plants and organizers to make things look neat.
Make your workspace your oasis. Don’t just put all the effort into making this space as efficient as possible to get things done. Make it as comfortable as possible for yourself as well.
See Also