Tune Out and Stay Focused While Working From Home
When working from home, you are likely going to encounter more distractions than you would in a traditional office setting. If you don’t live alone, you have housemates to contend with, and sometimes housemates can make a lot of distracting noise. You can try to mitigate the noise by working in a different area of the house or talking with your housemates to set quiet times, but those methods aren’t perfect. Wireless headphones can help dampen the noise in your home and replace it with music or a podcast you can listen to while working all without bothersome cables getting in the way. Studies have shown working while listening to music can help with focus and productivity. So don’t second guess the decision to invest in a good pair of noise-canceling wireless headphones to help you stay focused at home.
A Better Bigger Picture
Not everyone was prepared for the transition to remote work, and many people are making do with what they have, but it is worth building a proper work from home space. Part of a suitable home desk should include a decently sized monitor. Most people who work from a computer will have grabbed a laptop from work or are using whatever equipment was lying around, but hunching over a small screen is terrible for your back, eyes, and productivity. Investing in a reasonably priced 27’ monitor is not a luxury; it should be your standard. A 27’ screen lets you pull back from your small laptop screen and not squint to make out details. The larger screen also allows you to manage tabs and applications more efficiently, which means you don’t waste time trying to find the one page you are looking for on a tiny laptop screen.
Ergonomic Accessories
Regardless if you are working from home or in an office, you should be caring for yourself with comfort and ergonomic accessories. Using a computer all day can take a toll on your body, specifically your wrists. Mouse pads with a gel wrist rest are a great way to reduce the strain on your wrist, and magnetic wrist rests for your keyboard can reduce the passive pressure on your wrists while you type. You can find these accessories in fun colors to liven up your workspace with your personal flair, providing comfort and visual interest.
Expansion via USB Hub
If you are working from a laptop, you may be used to having one or two USB ports, but connecting a keyboard, mouse, webcam, and any other USB device will require more than two ports. Thankfully, USB hubs exist to solve this problem. A USB hub is a device that you plug into a USB port on your computer that itself has more USB ports. If you only have one USB port on your laptop, plug in a USB hub to instantly get more ports to connect all your devices. There are USB hubs for every version of USB, but USB-C is considered the best and most up to date option. Some USB hubs come with additional features like passthrough charging, and these optional features are usually reflected in the price, but basic USB hubs are inexpensive and widely available online.
Working from home isn’t easy, and you need a proper setup to work from home successfully. Use your preferred blend of gadgets, devices, and accessories to help you stay focused, productive, and comfortable while working from home.
