The 2021 WFH Essentials List (UK)

So you may be looking at this picture thinking, ‘ah, her favourite item must be her desk’, or ‘why’s she smiling whilst holding a wire’. I do love my desk and it’s super cheap from Ikea (here’s a bonus link for you ) however, my favourite WFH item is my TP link. My TP link will allow me to use a hardwire connection anywhere else in the house and I have definitely noticed a positive difference when I am on both internal and external calls. This is great for those who may have a poor Wi-Fi connection.

Great bit of kit I purchased due to my WiFi struggles! The range was barely reaching my office space - resulting in loss of connection, often during conferencing calls. I was fed up with feeling like a WiFi rookie so I did some homework (courtesy of Roderick), brought the TP link and haven't looked back since! Gives me a perfect connection as if I were plugged directly to the router. Easy Set up: 10/10 (also great to switch over into my PlayStation for those weekend gaming sessions!) 

With a second screen, moderating an event for our clients it's super simple as I'm able to have the moderation and the audience view, so if there is any irregularity or issue I'm able to spot it way easier and quicker. It also makes life easier when it comes to creating support articles, checking my calendar at any moment and make my work much more efficient. It's a life saver.

A second monitor helps me hide my sometimes chaotic workflow during client meetings.  

Such a small thing but I LOVE my ring light! Not only does it provide great lighting for when I'm doing marketing webchats etc but it also creates a really great light around my home office desk which has been most welcome during the darker winter days that we enjoy in the UK. This one was from Amazon - it's about 12inches diameter so mid sized and connects to my computer by USB - so simple, so cheap and has been a game changer for me!

For those of us who stand up for work, I can thoroughly recommend using an Anti Fatigue Mat. I bought this one for £30. My feet thanks me, as does my back. Attached photo of my new mat and my Happy Socks!
  

Not cheap but noise cancelling, and in a household where quiet time is often needed, you can imagine this is deeply appreciated! :-)

Mpow Truck Driver Bluetooth Headset [link]

Cost: ￡30

WFH has brought its challenges to the creative art of selling – the office is where great ideas are exchanged in a maelstrom of kinetic sales energy (i.e. shooting the breeze about what you had for dinner last night). BUT, one of the main advantages is how conducive it is to conducting a good sales call. Relative peace compared to an open office but finding that your phone signal can be a bit, well.....ARRRGH! Imagine the scene: You're talking to your prospective client and have their attention. Your flow is immaculate. The delivery is Shakesperian. You even have time to walk into the hallway and check yourself out in the hallway mirror and realise you really are that sales god you secretly think your colleagues see you as. Then you stop to let the client talk and reaffirm how blown away they are with the pitch you have just spent the last 10mins expounding. Silence......'Hello?'.....'Are you still there'.....You look at our phone and realise your call had stopped 30secs into it due to bad reception. So – my essential piece of WFH equipment is my bluetooth headset. I find an area in the house that has perfect signal, place my phone there and call and talk to my heart's content knowing that there is always someone at the other end listening. Oh, and still allows me to make use of the hallway mirror!

For someone who's role consists of a lot of time on the phone, the best piece of kit that has helped me working from home is my wireless headphones. I like to be active whilst on the phone to keep me thinking, sounding lively and awake on the phone, so I tend to walk around my flat. Not having to hold my phone up to my ear, or stay within the 1.5m wire length has been great and enables me to make calls more comfortably and with greater impact. I would highly recommend it for anyone on the phone a lot... or just if you like to listen to music in public and block everyone out. 

This solid little guy is all you'll ever need for your typing exploits. Does it come with a cup holder? No. Does it bring intriguing topics of conversation to the party? No. What it does do is never cause you a single bluetooth connection headache, it lasts and it lasts well; I have been hammering it fing-uratively and literally for almost half a decade now and yet it keeps coming back for more.

I can type from ANYWHERE

I know it’s flat, but the moment I place my hand on my mouse, swish my wrist once to right, and once to the left to get the hump to fit perfectly into the curve of my palm, I get a little tingle. The same tingle I’m sure ice-skaters get when they’ve just finished lacing up their skates, and they know everything is exactly where it needs to be: “Now I can glide”

And glide we do. Glide from one tab to another, glide from one process to another, each glide takes me into another dimension, is my name Bruce? Is my camera on? I move through relationships, currencies, and time zones with speed my adorably tiny index finger could never match.  

I've always used a wired mouse and those have worked well enough for me that I wasn't interested in wireless ones. I even tried the mac wireless mouse and that didn't work for me because I was missing some features. but then 3 years ago I needed a quick replacement for my wired mouse that was not working well and a colleague lent me this mouse and I haven't looked back ever since. It works perfectly in most surfaces, it saves space and causes less of a mess when you have a small desk and it has a long battery life. It is a small winner.

For many, their favourite piece of 'work from home' equipment will be a fancy piece of tech or an expensive desk, but for me, the humble cushioned mouse mat has been a genuine game-changer. Boasting a unique comfort zone memory foam cushion & special wave design I know that my hand and wrist will be fully supported throughout the day, dramatically reducing the chance of Repetitive strain injury (RSI). Spilt water on it? Not a problem, as the mat is waterproof. All in all, an essential item for anyone working at home.

Ikea MARKUS Chair
[link]

Cost:￡179

I purchased this chair because after working from home and sitting on a chair with absolutely no back and neck support I was starting to get an awful posture, back/neck pain (and a hunchback!). Now I have this chair in my life, I can sit with a good posture and my working days are much more comfortable! (The only downside is that I have to share it with my partner!)

Very comfortable and stylish chair! My back seriously thanked me for investing in this - the shape, padding and adjustable height really help my posture and comfort. It's fun to spin around too! Gone are the days of the hard dining room chair - the only hard part was assembling it by myself!

Lepak Office Chair [link]

Cost:￡47

This pic brings back great memories. This is the greatest purchase of my life. It's actually changed who I am as a person and helped me see the light. Smooth matte black finish with a scent of sophistication and above all superb comfort. 4/5 dentists would recommend.

I've been quite utilitarian when it comes to working from home, so all I can really recommend is a table that's large enough to have a laptop and a notepad. Unfortunately it was also a gift so I'm not entirely sure where it came from, though I think it was Wayfair.  

This desk has been the most fundamental work from home item I’ve purchased in 2020. It’s allowed to have a proper set up instead of making do with any random place. And with the drawers and storage space, I can store all my other work from home perks at the end of the work day. Plus it’s a great spot to put my candle collection (and plant.... fake plant 🤫) 

I've been using a sit/stand desk for about 3 years now and find it really beneficial during the working day. It’s simple to raise and lower, with the raised position being particularly good for posture and blood circulation. It sits on top of my regular desk and has enough room for my laptop and a monitor so I find it a comfortable addition to my working environment.