Working from home is now part of the ‘new normal’. It seems like everyone is invested in making their work from home life easier. Who doesn’t want their home setup to work a little smoother? Our community has weighed in on their favorite work from home essentials. Some of these items are practical must-haves, and some are items that just make our work from home experience more cheerful and less isolating.

Thanks to everyone who told us their favorite WFH essentials! We asked “The Help” community and here are their recommendations for favorite work from home essential tools:

Bluetooth mouse: a slim, handy bluetooth mouse means there are no wires to clutter up your desk. This frees up a lot of space for other desktop essentials such as pens and notepads. Get a travel-friendly one that you can pack along with your laptop to make navigating through the web easier. The trade-off is that it will need one USB port for the BT receiver. However, you get range and flexibility in exchange. 

Colored pens: color coding is one organization strategy that I use a lot. Idea organization and planning is much more fun and not as overwhelming when you do it in color. I use a color theme for each project and that makes it easier for me to find notes and pegs that we’ve brainstormed for each project. Get a colored pen set that has its own holder so they don’t clutter your desk.

Power banks: I buy duplicates of things that I deem useful. For example, I have multiple phone chargers lying around the house. I do this so that I can charge from anywhere at home. I’m sure you do this, too. A fully charged phone is important to me. It might sound funny but a low battery level gives me anxiety. I also have duplicate power banks. They are very handy in case of emergency. One high powerfully charged one is on my ‘go bag’ for emergencies. It has helped me through power outages and quick out-of-town trips. I have 2 more pocket-sized ones: one in my everyday bag and one near my desk for times when I want to keep my phone close while charging it.

Potted plants: desk must-haves don’t always have to be practical to be essential, they can be pretty, too. A potted plant will bring joy to your workday. You can also enjoy the air cleansing benefits of a plant on your desk or in your workspace. And if you need to rest your eyes from too much staring at the computer screen, looking at something green for a few seconds will help rest and relieve them. 

Scent diffuser: When you work from home, you sometimes miss the feeling of being outdoors. Scent diffusers can transport you to a place (or time) other than the inside of your home. Scents like pumpkin can rekindle the smell of autumn. You can diffuse pineapple to be instantly transported to the beach or watermelon to be reminded of summer.

What are your favorite tools that make your work from home life easier? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp