The Ultimate Guide to Office Essentials for Working From Home

Since I started blogging years ago, my office has always been wherever I’m at. Sometimes it was a hostel, my parents’ house, or elsewhere on the road. While my “office” has changed many times over the years—I now have a permanent space at home where I set to work.

For me, creating this office space is crucial as it helps set the mood for getting things done.

One of the biggest struggles of working from home is defining spaces and setting hours for myself—it can be so easy to grab my laptop and write emails from the couch or stay in bed while editing photos. And while sometimes I do this to honor how I’m feeling, a majority of the time I enter into my office space.

Have you been working from home and feeling this strange fatigue of not knowing when you’re done for the day?

You’re not the only one, so here are my helpful tips for working from home as a freelancer! With that, I have now found the key comforts that help me to be productive and spark creativity while working from home.

Here are my working from home office essentials!

The Ideal Working Space

My ideal working space is one where I have both a standing and sitting desk—great for changing things up. While it can be easy to slump in the chair, this can be detrimental to your posture and inadvertently impact your neck (text neck is a thing!).

So, find a desk solution that works for you. I personally like the standing desk so I’m not sitting all day. Another thing I love, especially if I am sitting, is to opt for a computer raiser so my monitor is in line with my eye level.

Set  the Mood

Now that your desk space is taken care of—set the mood! Do you want your office flooded with natural light? Do you thrive with a bit of art around you? Or do you prefer everything to be orderly and minimal?

I particularly love bringing a bit of greenery into my space—here’s how to bring the outdoors indoors!

Here are my tips:

• Let the Natural Light Flood In
• Organize Your Desk Space at the End of the Day
• Create a Fresh To-Do List Every Evening or Start of Your Work Day
• Time Block and Create Dedicated Chunks of Time to Accomplish Tasks
• Find an Inspiring Playlist or Podcast for a Bit of Background Noise

Paper Goods and Productivity

Because so much of my work is online, I love using a paper planner and to-do list.

Having something tangible where I can cross off tasks makes me feel more productive and like giving myself a gold star when I can check something off.

While I might have spent hours working on something, because I wasn’t physically moving around a space, sometimes it feels like I didn’t accomplish all that much. However, when I reflect on my to-do list and see where I’m at, it’s a good boost for overall morale.

Beloved Accessories

Ah, yes, the beloved accoutrements and accessories of the office space! While these will likely differ for everyone, some of my faves include a Hydro Flask for staying hydrated, noise-canceling headphones, and charging accessories.

I don’t know about you, but one of the things I liked about working in a typical office was the abundance of coffee supplies or sometimes a coffee shop within the building. Because of this, I often like to froth my own milk at home for “fancy coffee.”

Overall

Last, but certainly not least: consider your wardrobe!

I do like to change out of my pajamas and “get dressed,” but oftentimes this means comfy leggings and a cute blouse. Something I would feel comfortable wearing to walk the dog or grab a coffee, but not something that I’m itching to change out of. Wear whatever you feel good and productive in!

For my favorite comfies—check out this list!

What things make your ideal office space at home? Let me know in the comments below!