If you are rearranging your life to work from home, you are not alone. Working from home was one of the biggest business trends of 2024, and it does not show any sign of stopping. Around the world, employees have experienced a slew of benefits by cutting out their daily commute to the office.
With that said, working from home can come with a slew of unique challenges. From unexpected back pain to mixed-up phone calls and dead computers, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. To help make things easier, consider this list of six things you need for working from home.
1. Business Phone Number
If you have never worked from home before, you might think using your personal cell or landline should work fine for all of your work-related needs, but that cannot be further from the truth. In truth, having separate home phones and business phones is a critical part of setting the necessary boundaries between your personal life and career. If your house is going to be the location for both, you can get in touch with Ooma for an effective communication.
2. Standing Desk
Many people never understand the strain that seemingly gentle office work can put on a person’s back until after they try to do it for several years. Without a doubt, sitting can put significant stress on your body. From back pain to poor posture, a sitting desk can contribute to a number of health problems. To help avoid these types of physical risks, consider investing in a standing desk. According to research, these desks offer the best hope for your back while working at a computer.
3. Comfy Chair
Speaking of back problems, another thing you will not desperately need until you need it is a comfortable chair that has an ergonomic design to support posture and prevent strain. Sitting in a chair for long hours can put significant strain on the lower back in particular. For this reason, investing in a comfortable and well-designed chair can be a worthwhile investment. This is especially true if you are unable to purchase a standing desk and sitting is your only option.
4. Powerful Laptop
If you plan on working from home full-time, you are going to need more than a tablet or $300 laptop. Even if your discounted machine has gotten you through for what you have needed over the years, working from home, six to eight hours a day, four to six days a week, puts significant wear on a computer that casual hobby use does not. For the best experience, consult the input of many sources and if possible, try both Macs and Windows to see how you like them before buying.
5. Colorful Pens
This is one thing you might easily overlook, but it can be extremely useful to have a pack of colorful pens on hand when working from home. What is the reason? Notetaking, of course! By labeling different subjects using different colors and taking notes in a color-coded way, you add an entirely new layer of organization to your life.
6. Lap Desk
Okay, maybe the “experts” do not recommend it, but the truth is, there are going to be days when you will be way more productive in your job if you do some of it from a comfortable spot like your bed or living room sofa. There is zero shame in this. Just make it easy and do not overheat your computer. Many people accidentally overheat their laptops by placing them directly on their clothes or bedding. Never do this! You can destroy your machine. Instead, buy a lap desk for preventing these problems.
7. Get Fast Internet
Working from home can be a disaster when you are facing the dreadful challenge called “slow internet”. A poor internet connection is completely no-no; however, sometimes, a good internet connection can work slowly because too many users are using it at the same time. It will be best if you can get separate routers for your office purpose and the rest of your family can use the other one.
Apart from that, you can also get an ethernet connection to solve slow internet problems.
8. Get A Good Pair of Headphones
If your work requires attending calls, virtual business meetings, or something relevant like that, you need to invest in a good pair of headphones. A pair of good-quality headphones will come with a noise-canceling feature that you will definitely be fond of because the feature helps in improving voice clarity. Moreover, you can also get a virtual phone system installed in order to enjoy high-fidelity calls.
9. Use A Planner
Task management tools can be a lifesaver when it comes to managing everything while working from home. Get a planner and jot down every task that you need to complete on a particular day. If you can make this a habit then there will be no problem in the future where you will forget about any meetings, deadlines, or appointments.
10. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Last but not least, you need to have a healthy lifestyle. Working from home can be a stressful job because people often find it hard to maintain a work-life balance even when they are staying at home.
Moreover, as you don’t need to travel to the office, you might not need to do the physical work as much as you previously used to do. That’s why it is important to exercise and do stretching every day to boost your endorphin level and get a good posture.
Apart from that, eating healthy, going to sleep on time are some of the things that you should follow to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Working from home can be an excellent opportunity. The best way to reduce the stress that comes with some of the inevitable challenges is by being prepared. This list can help you follow this top business trend.
