4 Must-Have Productivity Tools For Working From Home

4 Must-Have Productivity Tools For Working From Home

The pandemic changed things for everyone around the globe. For many of us, it changed the way we work and working from home became the new norm.

It took some getting used to. But, if you’re anything like me, you probably prefer your new work environment. Sure, there are pros and cons to this new way of working, but, for me, the pros column weighs a little heavier than the opposition. Thanks to technology, working from home means that we can get more done in the same amount of time and it feels like there are a lot more hours in a day!

This article by the London School of Economics conveys how companies can experience an increase in their workforce’s productivity levels. Not to mention an improvement in mental health, as per this study by Forbes.

So, in honour of adjusting to the new norm, here are four must–have productivity tools and equipment that can better make working from home work for you:

1.  Ergonomic office equipment. Don’t take your office equipment for granted. We are at our desks for long periods of time and this can take a toll on your posture if you’re not well supported.

As easy as it may be to grab a chair from your dining room, please don’t. These chairs are not designed for long-term, continuous use. Over time, doing this will have a negative impact on your, back, neck, circulation, etc. Investing in an ergonomic chair that can be adjusted to give you the support needed will serve you well in the long run.

2. A second monitor. You may have worked in an office where you were afforded the luxury of a second monitor. It speeds up your performance, as you can view information on one screen whilst actioning tasks on the other. No more Alt+Tab (Or, at least, not as much)!

If you haven’t used a second monitor before, you’re missing out! And the good news? They’re not that expensive! Remember, it’s just a monitor, so it’s nowhere near the cost of purchasing a new computer. You can get them for as low as £90/$115. Check this LG monitor out, for example.

3. Evernote. Evernote is a great app to keep all your notes organised in one place. No more post-it notes. And let me tell you, I used to love a post-it note! But, seeing as I buy my own supplies now, I was more than willing to find a solution for this habit.

Evernote allows you to create “folders” so that you can file things accordingly. And guess what? When you need to find that note with all the scribbles on it, you can have it in front of you in 2 seconds flat with a quick search in the search bar.

Evernote can be used for notes relating to your work and personal life, individual clients, and everything in between. By creating “notebooks” for each area, you can keep everything separated and organised. And you never have to use/keep another rogue piece of paper again. And what’s more, it’s great for the environment too. SAVE THE TREES!

4. Wavebox. If you deal with multiple clients and/or applications, I’m sure you’d appreciate a way of managing those clients/applications more efficiently. Enter: Wavebox! It’s an absolute God send for productivity.

It’s an application that sits on your desktop and allows you to keep all your applications in one place, in a very convenient way. You can add dividers so that you can keep your clients separate. Or, if you just use a lot of applications for different areas of your life/work, you can benefit from dividing them up in this way also.

Check it out here for yourself and see what you think. I’ve been using it for the last seven months now and, quite simply, wouldn’t be without it.

 

These four must-haves will put you in good stead to make your at-home setup a high-performance productivity machine!