Contrary to popular belief, working from home can be difficult. You have to consider your home environment, what tasks can be done at home, and many others.
But, many often find it hard to work at home because they do not have the right gadgets to support their tasks. Besides the bed and playstation calling out to you…
If you want to have the best work from home experience that will improve your productivity, here are my recommended checklist for the gadgets you need to get:
Desktop
Desktop PCs are often used in many companies because it is cheaper and it is very easy to upgrade. It can also handle office work without problems.
Check for the specifications of the desktop PC you plan to get and see if it is upgraded and has fast performance.
Laptop
If you prefer a laptop to do your work like me, you need to consider its specifications before buying one.
It must have a monitor wide and clear enough for your tasks, a keyboard that you can use without problems and a trackpad that will help you organize your work windows. It will also be great if it has high memory so it will not lag while you work.
When you do use a laptop for work, you need to have an ergonomic setup to keep your wrists protected.
Okay, I can’t recommend any brands. I am very bias because I love the one I am using. I am a big time Mac user and for me, a high powered Macbook Pro works like a dream paired with my iPad and iPhone. But if you are a Windows fan, I’ll place my money on Lenovo’s Thinkpad series too.
Monitor
If you plan to use a desktop for your work, it has to be one that is large enough for you to see all your tasks, present an image in high definition and be adjustable.
It must also be affordable because high definition monitors can be worth around thousands.
As a writer and recruiter, I don’t really need a monitor. However, if I am at a job crunching numbers with a few excel sheets open, a monitor will save me squinting my eyes.
Keyboard
Desktop computers often vary when it comes to the quality of their keyboards. If you often type for your tasks, you need a keyboard that will help you type smoothly and not strain your wrists in the process.
Mechanical keyboards are said to be easy to type on and comfortable to use, so you may want to get one from Kinetic Labs. It is also ideal to get a wireless one so you can type farther from your monitor, saving your eyes from blue light exposure.
Mouse
Whether you use a desktop or a laptop, getting a good mouse is important. It ensures that your wrists are protected, especially from using the trackpad all the time.
It can also move around windows easily and you don’t have to keep scrolling just to get to the right window you wish to open. I prefer wireless mouse because I don’t want to battle with my mouse everytime I move out of range.
Some mouses today even come with extra buttons so you can shortcut to frequently-used windows or options. That’s really cool!
Noise-cancelling headphones
To ensure that no one or nothing will distract you from your work, you need to get yourself a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
This will help you tune out all the background noise around you and focus on your video or audio meetings.
I’m not a big fan of this but I know my friends swears by them. I can almost work anywhere (including on my bed) but my preference will be a work desk facing a gorgeous scenery (noise or no noise).
Webcam
While webcams are now available in computers and smartphone devices, they are not often clear in definition.
If you are planning to use video calls for your meetings, you need a webcam that will provide your teammates a clear image of you from your home office.
Printer
Getting a work from home printer is important. If you are getting one, get one that can scan, print and copy documents for you.
Do remember however, printers are usually cheap but their ink cartridges are expensive. You will save more if you do not need to print in colors.
Conclusion
Working from home is not an easy venture to do, especially if you plan to do it full time. Whether you will be doing this full time or not, you need to have the equipment to help you out.
I hope that this guide gives you an idea on what you need to get to complete your work-from-home setup.
To be more productive during your work from home stint, check out these tips: Being Productive @ Work: What Are The 5 Time Wasting Things You Do At Your Desk Staying Productive as a Freelancer How to Make the Most of Your Day When Working Remotely
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