5 Home Office Essentials to Increase Productivity

For people who are fed up with the office environment and commute times, working from home is viewed as a dream job. You imagine yourself working in your pajamas with your legs propped up while sipping on some coffee. Those who do work from home know that’s not the case. It requires you to create the right workstation, ignore distractions, and meet the deadlines while being supremely self-motivated.

As an increasing number of Americans strive to work from home, the need to compile a list of essential home office items becomes that much more important.

In this blog, we share the must-have office home items you need to maintain a high level of productivity.

Access to High-Speed Internet & Web Cam

Access to a high-speed internet connection is crucial to log into on-line accounts, send and receive important files, and interact with team members and clients. Whether you’re working on a laptop, desktop or multiple devices, it’s absolutely essential to have a reliable and high-speed internet connection.

Having a camera connected to your computer is also extremely valuable, as it will allow you to have ‘live’ meetings via Skype or Zoom, while being on camera.

Lots of Plants and Scents

It may not seem important, but hanging artwork on the walls, bringing in some houseplants, and potentially adding candles or incense sticks is key to creating a stimulating office environment. Plus, they brighten up the place and act as stimuli that get the creative juices flowing!

A Comfortable Chair

A commonality between working from home and the office is sitting on a chair for long periods of time. A high quality and comfortable chair is essential for providing the right support and preventing back pain as well as a host of postural problems. You can opt for a stability ball or if you’re not really a fan of prolonged sitting then a standing desk is another healthy alternative.

An Outside View

A beautiful view of the outside may seem like an ideal source for distraction, but research show that it actually helps to increase alertness. Working in a confined space deprived of natural sunlight is bad for productivity; whereas the simple act of opening the window for a breath of fresh air does wonders for rejuvenating the mind.

Do your best to have a home office that has at least one exterior window to allow for natural sunlight to infiltrate your office space.

A Guaranteed Quiet Environment

It is critical to be able to shut a door and ensure that you have a quiet working environment when required. Some people find it extremely distracting to have family noises in the background, while others are able to tune it out. Regardless which of category you fall into, there will be times when it is required to have no background noise.

In addition, while working from home may prove to be less stressful overall, prolonged isolation, lack of communication, and loneliness can take its toll on the mind. It’s always beneficial to have other work options such as coffee shops and shared workspaces, when desired.

It’s a smart idea to scout out other potential places to work so when you have a live meeting or just crave other live human interaction, you can have a game plan already in place.

 While this article is by no means a comprehensive guide, incorporating these essentials will hopefully assist in making the work more manageable and also increase efficiency.

Ann Zaslow-Rethaber is President of International Search Consultants, a leader in executive search since 1999. You can reach Ann directly at 888-866-7276 or via email at [email protected]

Kim Garrison is a virtual based Director of Texas Banking for International Search Consultants. You can reach the author via direct dial at 800-270-3974 or e-mail at [email protected]