At Eat Your Coffee, we’ve been fortunate enough to have a remote work culture for a little over a year now. As many people have transitioned to this new way of working, we’d like to contribute by sharing a little bit of knowledge from our own experience. Recently, we shared our guide to remote work. This week, we’re sharing some work from home essentials as well as the little things that will bring a smile to your face in your new home office. 
 

Essentials

• A Desk or Desk-Like Surface: When you’re spending 8+ hours working on a computer, having a structured surface makes it easier to focus work and helps keep your machine cool (we see you over there working from your bed…). This lap desk and this writing desk are great for those starting to build their work from home set up.
  
  
• Back Support: No matter where you’re working — your bed or a desk — having good back support is essential during long workdays. This lumbar back support pillow is great no matter where your favorite at-home work spot is as it can be used on chairs, the couch, or in bed. And for those that have a full desk set up, a good chair can make a huge difference. Kitchen chairs certainly weren’t designed with back support in mind.
  
  
• A Monitor: One of the biggest differences between a conventional office space and working from home tends to be the tools and equipment available. If you’re working from home full time, after a good desk and chair, a monitor is the next most important item to have. It might seem like a splurge, but you can find them at surprisingly affordable prices. Plus, a monitor not only increases productivity but using a monitor can reduce eye strain and improve your posture! 

Nice-To-Haves

• Desktop Organizer: The books, the papers, and the office tools tend to pile up when you’re working at home full time, and you know what they say: “Cluttered desk, cluttered mind.” We love this desktop organizer because you can arrange differently based on your needs.
  
  
• Noise Canceling Headphones: Some of us will be working at home with kids, barking dogs, or our neighbors and their new karaoke machine — either way, noise-canceling headphones are the way to go.
  
  
• Blue Light Glasses: While these aren’t exactly work-from-home tools, they’re great for those of us that spend the majority of our workday looking at a screen. If you suffer from daily headaches (especially those from eye-strain), these can help! From Amazon to Felix Gray there are plenty of options to choose from. Plus, you can get as stylish as you want... win-win. 

Sparks of Joy

• Milk Frother: For some of us, the mid-morning coffee shop cappuccino or cortado is a little extra something to get us through meetings and phone calls. With this milk frother, you can still have your favorite milky drink at home daily. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the day that much better. And, of course, for an extra boost of healthy energy, you can still get your Eat Your Coffee Snacks delivered to your door!
  
  
• Plants: Yes, we are fully recommending stocking your home office (or just entire home) with plants to bring a little extra joy right now. Elle Decor has put together a great list of where to buy plants online so go get your sansevierias and take in the fresh air and greenery. At Eat Your Coffee, we have a slack channel dedicated entirely to our house plants.
  
  
• Essential Oil Diffuser: Sometimes, staying in the same area the entire day can start to feel a bit cramped. In addition to opening a window and changing locations, we love this essential oil diffuser for making the air feel fresh and clean. Did you know you can buy coffee-scented essential oils? Just saying...

While everyone’s work from home set up will be a bit different, it’s important to do what you need to make the space both productive, inspiring, and of course, energizing.