Working from home is a big adjustment, and is therefore not without its difficulties. Although it can help keep those around you safe, you may not feel suitably prepared to work to your best ability from your living room. For example, you may feel as though you don’t have the right equipment, or as though you lack support as you are unable to build a relationship with your remote co-workers.
Firstly, it is essential to remember that you should not put too much pressure on yourself at this time – so long as you are trying your best – that it is all that counts. However, you can make the experience less stressful by getting your hands on some work from home tools!
- Video Conferencing Tools
To communicate with your boss, colleagues and clients its likely that you are going to have to host the occasional virtual meeting. Although this may seem stressful, treat it the same way you would treat a usual meeting – the only difference is the location. However, the following tools can make video conferencing simple and are definitely worth the purchase.
- Premium subscription to a service such as Zoom
- A quality webcam
- A microphone
- Recording software
- A ring light for your camera/webcam
- Speakers
- A Split Keyboard
If you are going to spend the entire day behind a computer, writing notes or reports, you may begin to experience pains in your arms and wrists. This is due to the way traditional keyboards are designed – as they are flat, they put pressure on your wrist, forearm and elbows. Over time, this can lead to repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), such as carpal tunnel syndrome. You can ease this pressure – and reduce the risk of injury – by getting your hands on a wireless split keyboard. As you are more comfortable, you may find that you get more work done in less time!
- A Grammarly Subscription
As you are unable to head into the office, you are likely sending more emails than usual – be that to your colleagues or clients. As a result, you need to ensure that you are still communicating clearly. Not only can you keep on track of spelling and grammar using Grammarly, but they also provide you with expert advice on tone and style. This means you can help cut down the length of your emails – conveying your point clearly. After all, nobody wants to read an email that is several pages long.
- Noise Cancelling Headphones
Although you may be enjoying a break from the office environment and your daily commute, it’s important to notice that when at home, you are surrounded by more distractions than ever before. Whether multiple people in your household are working from home, or you are itching to watch TV as you work – you need to find a way to stay focused on your work. One way in which you can do this is through grabbing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They can help you block out the world around you and focus on the task at hand.
