Top Work-from-home Items You Should “Add to Cart” Now

Since the COVID-19 pandemic led to many country-wide lockdowns, remote work has become the norm. Most companies have established a work-from-home structure for its workers to enable most business operations to continue.

However, even after months of working remotely, some people are still having difficulties balancing their work and personal time. Studies also confirmed that staying indoors for too long can affect a person's mental and physical health, resulting in stress and anxiety.

So for those who are striving to have a better work-from-home experience, here's a list of home office items that can help lessen stress and make work more productive and comfortable.

Sturdy Work Desk

As a remote worker, it’s important to set a dedicated home office or workspace. Within this space, a sturdy work desk will hold all your equipment, files, and other work-related things together and keep you organized.

When setting up your workspace, always make sure that your desk is clean and organized. Keeping your desk free from clutter and any distraction will help you stay focused and productive.

For those who work on graveyard shifts and who tend to lose their energy or feel drowsy after long hours of sitting, consider getting a standing or exercise desk to help keep you active despite working for hours.

Ergonomic Office Chairs

Pair your desk with a comfortable and ergonomically-designed office chair. These kinds of chairs support the lower back and spine and prevent you from developing bad posture. If you plan to invest in good office chairs for your work-from-home setup, always go for ergonomically-designed ones to help you work as efficiently and comfortably as possible.

Portable Lumbar Back Support

If you already have an office chair at home and don't need to buy a new one, buy a lumbar back support instead to aid your posture when sitting down. However, if you can't afford this, you can use a pillow or a rolled towel, and place it on your lower back instead. It is a quick fix that will improve your comfort as you work.

A Headset with a Noise-canceling Microphone

Since the world started working remotely, online video meetings have become standard, and investing in a high-quality headset with a noise-canceling microphone will make your Zoom calls sound clearer.

More importantly, this item is a must-have for online English teachers as it will help them and their students to understand each other loud and clear during lessons.

A Laptop Stand

For workers who commonly experience stiffness after long hours of work, laptop stands will help ease your neck and back pain by placing your screen at eye level. Additionally, it allows you to position your screen farther away from you and lessen eye strain.

Some models of laptop stands can become standing work desks that can help you break away from your sedentary lifestyle. Improve your sitting posture and reduce neck and back pains by using a laptop stand.

A Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

Whether you’re a laptop or desktop user, using a wireless keyboard and mouse eliminates clutter from wires, and offers more room and flexibility in terms of space. Both items can also connect and switch to other devices, such as a phone or tablet. Consider getting your work done efficiently with these items that you can easily afford online.

Back-up Power Supply

For remote workers, a power interruption is everyone's worst nightmare, especially for online English teachers. This kind of emergency is unpredictable and difficult to avoid but you can always prepare for it. Here are power back-up devices that will help you when that time comes.

Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS

When your regular power supply decreases, this battery back-up provider can serve as a temporary alternative. A UPS can power desktop computers for a few more minutes before electricity completely runs out during a power interruption.

Home Power Inverter

This equipment provides enough power to run household electric devices. Unlike UPS, home inverters can provide back-up power for longer hours.

Diesel Generator

This engine combines diesel with an electric generator to produce electrical energy. It holds more power that can back-up not only computers but also household appliances. Compared to a UPS and an inverter, diesel generators use fuel to provide back-up power.

Save up for power supply equipment to prevent power interruptions while working from home.

Invest in these work-from-home items

High quality work demands high-quality tools and equipment. By investing in these seven must-have items, you can achieve a more productive and comfortable work environment at home.

For online English teachers, these essentials will help conduct your lessons efficiently and effectively. However, for aspiring online EFL teachers, 51Talk only requires applicants to have a decent laptop, a webcam, a headset with a noise-canceling mic, and a good Internet connection in order to start teaching. Over time, you can invest in the items mentioned above to help run your lessons smoothly.

Join 51Talk today and make working from home more fulfilling!