8 Work From Home Essentials For The Perfect Remote Office
Just a couple of months ago, the majority of people across the globe were not taking novel coronavirus seriously. However, as the pandemic of COVID-19 began to spread across many countries at breakneck speed, it left all dumbfounded and now the situation is looking grim.
Some nations have come to a complete standstill, including India, and being the CEO of ProofHub, I must admit that even I was not seriously considering remote working for my employees just over a month ago. However, we didn’t waste time switching to remote working as a necessary precaution to keep our employees, community, and nation safe.
It is also a fact that due to the sudden turn of events, many team managers and employees have found their space not as office-ready as they might have liked. This concern was raised by some of my employees too. Not having the right work from home essentials for remote work is one of the biggest hurdles in achieving a high level of efficiency in work.
Without the right home-office tools, employees can face problems like:
- Lack of focus
- Loss of productivity
- Loss of motivation
- Poor quality of work
- Increase in work-related stress
- Negative impact on mental and physical health
On the other hand, using the best tools during remote work results in many advantages for the employees as well as their managers and employers.
- Give employees office-like feel
- Improve the work environment
- Improved productivity
- Achieve more in less time
- Relieve from work stress
- Better connectivity with other team members
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Based on my personal experience of remote work over the years, I have compiled a list of top work from home essentials that have helped me stay focused, productive, and comfortable during an 8-hour workday (or even more), and can do the same for you. Read on to know more about it.
- A Dedicated Workspace
While a flat desk and comfortable chair is a great way to start, it doesn’t end here. You need to have a dedicated workspace in your house from where you can focus only and only on your work, without getting distracted from pets, kids, etc. Ideally, that means a closed-off room in your house that gives you a psychological feeling of working in a “regular” office.
It should have adequate space, shelves, drawers, electric outlets, and lighting (natural and artificial). Keep the door shut as you work to avoid distracting noises from unsettling you. It will also help you disconnect from the work at the end of the day.
2. A Reliable, Fast Internet Connection
If you’re working from home and your job requires no internet access at all, I would love to know what type of work it is. Keeping humor aside, the internet is probably the lifeline of any type of online work today. Don’t we all get restless when we lose internet connection for even a couple of minutes?
A reliable internet connection is an essential work from home tool and a prerequisite for productive remote work. Don’t take chances connecting your phone’s internet to your laptop or PC; it might not be good enough for heavy usage. Rather, invest in an independent internet connection for remote offices, like WiFi service or broadband connection, to ensure fast, uninterrupted data speed.
I am sure you don’t want your workflow to lose momentum several times a day due to the slow internet.
3. Dual Monitors
There may be varied opinions on this one, but the overall consensus is that upgrading to a dual monitor setup is always a good idea, depending on the work you do. The additional monitor will allow you to run multiple applications simultaneously. For example, you can use your email on the left screen, while browsing the web or other tools on the right screen.
It will also give you a comprehensive view of what you’re working on. Once I started using a second monitor, I haven’t looked back ever since. Additionally, using a second monitor is easy and requires no extra software.
4. Project Management Software
If you are managing a team, or are a part of it, you need to be on the same page as your colleagues for improved collaboration on assigned tasks. Using all-in-one project management software like ProofHub can help you achieve more in less time and thrive as a remote worker.
With all the right tools in one centralized location, you can create and assign tasks, fix responsibilities, track the project’s progress, and communicate instantly without having to juggle different apps. No per-user fee and adding unlimited projects and members make things all the easier.
5. Noise Canceling Headphones
This one is one of my favorite work from home essentials, quite simply because it lets me work in peace, without getting disturbed by a sudden, loud bark of my pet dog or my kids yelling and shouting at the most inappropriate time. Not to mention other noises like city traffic, which can easily break your concentration.
A good pair of noise-canceling headphones (I am using Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700) does an incredible job of blocking outside noises, so you can focus on the workload in front of you, without getting disturbed time and again by unwanted noises. And the best feature is that it works both ways; you’ll be able to clear the conversation on the other line clearly as well as isolate your voice from external sounds.
6. Office Supplies
You would not want to work in a home office that feels more of a home than an office. Get some handy physical office supplies, like notepads, planners, pens and paper, stapler, permanent markers, etc., and place them on your desk to make your workspace look like a proper office. Write things down on a notepad; it will help you in remembering important points.
Having a printer or copier will also help, depending on the type of work you are doing. Overall, make a list of essential supplies you would need in your home office, so you don’t have to run around when you need them.
7. Backup
You are working over 8 hours in a day and you would not want all your hard work go down the drain just because you didn’t have a backup. A power failure or crashed computer/laptop can ruin your work. You cannot plan for emergencies. Make sure you have a backup power source ready, just in case.
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure all your data is backed up on a local hard drive or in the cloud.
8. Plants, Arts, and Scents
Remember home office is not only about having office furniture and supplies, and few essential gadgets to work with. You are a human and you are sensitive to your surroundings. I always place a couple of flower pots and essential oils for natural scent, which also helps me feel relaxed.
Adding some houseplants and fixing arts on your walls can enhance the atmosphere and elevate your mood for productive daily workflow.
In The End
When it comes to remote work, it’s amazing how little things can make a big difference. Using the best work from home essentials goes a long way in creating a positive, productive environment in your home office besides relieving stress to a great extent. Since we really don’t know when we will be back to our regular offices, we should make our home offices well-equipped with the right tools.
Wishing you all the very best with your remote work and health. I hope my suggestions will benefit you in more ways than one. Best of Luck!
Doing Our Bit
COVID-19 is the elephant in the room right now. It has put to halt the normal routine of billions of people worldwide, including schools and other educational institutions. We are offering ProofHub free to schools for the rest of the year 2020. We believe that this small gesture will help admins, teachers, and students to simplify, organize, and manage tasks in hand.
Get started by signing up for ProofHub now and we will help you get started!
Are there any other handy essentials you’d like to suggest for remote workers? Make sure to let us know in the comments!
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