For many, the novelty of working from home is wearing off and it is quickly becoming the norm. Everyone works in different ways, and some will find that they aren’t able to be as productive as they’d like, less productive than they might be at the office. Does this sound like you?
In order to combat this, you might need to make a few changes at home, making your workspace more like your office. We previously went through the top ten things you need to work from home, and thought we’d go one step further. Here are ten ways you can upgrade your home office for maximum productivity!
1. Monitors
Tired of hunching over a small laptop screen? You might want to think about working with a monitor as your primary screen instead. Not only will you fit more on your screen at any time, but if you set it up at the correct height it will be better for your posture. And if you’ve got the space, why not opt for two? If you go for a monitor, make sure you have the right cables to connect your laptop to the screen. Most monitors will have HDMI or VGA connectivity, so if your laptop doesn’t have either of these ports, you’ll need the right adaptor.
2. Desk
This is more if you have the space in your home for a desk, and you feel it will be worth having longer term. Having a desk in the corner of a room is ideal for home working, as it’s a separate space from where you would sit to relax at home. Try and keep only the essentials on your desk, so it isn’t too cluttered and distracting. At the end of the working day, why not have a good tidy up, so that when your sit at your desk the next morning you’ll be good to go! Another great addition to your desk is a standing desk converter, great for easing back pain, boosting productivity, and increasing mood and energy levels.
3. Office chair
When you’re in the office, chances are you sit in an office chair. You should do the same in your home office! A decent chair will help minimise back pain, helping you focus more. The majority of your working day is spent sitting down, so its important to sit correctly, and comfortably. A gaming chair is well worth considering for the hours spent sitting down. But you should avoid long periods of sitting in the same position – try and walk around every hour or so. Walking around on long calls could help with this.
4. Noise cancelling headphones
Lots of noise and distractions at home? If your family are at home as well, or there’s a lot of outside noise, it can be hard to concentrate on your work. A pair of noise cancelling headphones could be the answer, for times when you need to focus. If you like to listen to music as you work this is a great option, but some will find it too distracting. Instead, you could simply wear them without any music playing – it’s a win win!
5. Smart assistant
Smart assistants are a great way to keep up with everything you need to do that day. You can sync your Outlook calendar with an Amazon Echo, and then ask Alexa what’s on your calendar that day. Or, you can set up reminders and a to do list for your activities that day. There are a number of skills you can enable to help with productivity – for some reason the sound of rain falling can help concentration!
6. Wireless mouse and keyboard
Some people like using the trackpad on a laptop. Others don’t get on with them. If this is you, a wireless keyboard and mouse could be the solution. The wired vs wireless choice is entirely up to you, but we prefer having as few wires on the desk as possible. They will be USB compatible, so you’ll need a spare USB port on your laptop, or if you’re running out of spare spaces, you can get a USB hub for extra connections.
7. Wireless phone charger
When your mobile phone runs out of battery, it is seriously annoying. When you rely on your mobile phone for your work, this is even worse! Having a charger to hand is very useful, and we really like wireless charging technology. Say goodbye to rummaging for your plug-in charger among all your other wires, and say hello to the convenience of resting your phone on a charging pad on your desk. For best results, go for a Qi-enabled charger that comes with a quick charge 3.0 AC adapter – it won’t work with a standard phone charger plug.
8. Wired internet
While we love the convenience of Wi-Fi, it doesn’t quite perform as well as a wired internet connection. The more devices you have connected to the Wi-Fi, you’ll have worse connectivity, and greater likelihood of dropouts. A wired connection should be more reliable, and doing this is a great way to manage your home Wi-Fi. This is a great option if your home office is close to the Wi-Fi router – as there’s less risk of tripping over the wire!
9. Headset
If you’re using VoIP as your primary phone system, you can access all your calls through your work computer, and operate it with a headset. And as more and more people are having meetings through video calling software like Microsoft Teams, the better quality it will be. Your built-in laptop speakers and microphone will probably not be up to scratch, and a decent headset offers a more professional sound.
10. Printer
One thing office workers tend to take for granted is the ability to print, scan and photocopy. If your work involves a lot of paperwork, then an all-in-one printer is a great option for you at home. They’re quite reasonably priced – if you don’t need wireless printing, then you can get all-in-ones from around £25.
Its important that you can get the most out of you home office, and making a few small upgrades can be great for your overall home working productivity. If you’re unsure about the best options for you, get in touch with ACUTEC today – we’d be happy to help!
