5 Upgrades You Need for Your Home Office in 2021

It appears that the ability to work from home is here to stay. You may have even switched over to contract and freelance work during the pandemic, so your home office is your only office. No matter what your income source is, the updates below can make your ability to work from home more efficient and comfortable.

Get a Camera for Zoom Meetings

If you have been using your laptop camera for video conferences over Zoom and are tired of the focus on your chin and up your nose, getting a camera to view yourself from a more flattering angle is an excellent decision. Once you have a camera, you may also find that you can create video presentations on a bigger background get a bit more mobile during your presentations even develop an online class based on your expertise.

While it is entirely possible to use your phone as a camera instead of your laptop, you may struggle with data limitations or communication interruptions. A webcam can be a dedicated tool that you can use to improve your message delivery process.

Increase Your Internet Speed

Even if you’re remote, your home internet speed can get in the way of doing your job effectively. It can also limit your freelancing options, slow down your website if you have one or want to make a website for your home business, and will certainly mess up a Zoom job interview.

Consider upgrading your personal internet setup so you have better data flow and speed. This may take new gear, or it could simply require a cable upgrade. Considering Cat 5 cable price when researching ethernet cables could be well worth the investment for faster data downloads, larger project uploads, and consistent video streaming.

Buy a Better Chair

If you bought an office chair when the pandemic hit, make sure it is still comfy and working well. If not, consider buying another. You may find that your choices for an at-home chair are pretty limited. In the event that your city has a used office supply store, consider looking there.

Many commercial office furniture providers have products that can be hard to locate for individuals. You can get a great deal on a much sturdier chair secondhand. Another option is to look for a gamer’s chair that can give you long-term comfort. Pay attention to the position of the armrest when looking at gamer’s chairs to avoid an awkward wrist angle or shoulder tension.

Treat Yourself to a Lap Desk

There are points in the day when you want to put your feet up. Instead of worrying about an ottoman, get a lap desk that you can take to bed with you. Stack up the pillows and lean back while you surf, watch videos, or do whatever you used to like to do on your computer before the pandemic.

If you are torn between a tray unit and a unit that actually rests on your legs, just make sure that there is enough clearance under the laptop platform for air to flow no matter how many blankets you are under. For those who love a fluffy throw over their legs, get the tray configuration.

Get a Whiteboard

The act of putting pen or marker to a real writing surface and transferring an idea from your brain to a visible field uses a different path in your brain. There is great power in writing down, rather than typing out, your ideas. To that end, find a space in your home office for a whiteboard where you can toss up ideas to see what sticks.

If your office is in a corner of another room, consider putting up a screen to give you a bit of privacy and hanging a whiteboard on that. While you are improving your workspace, consider also hanging a corkboard where you can post instructions that don’t need space in your head, inspirational thoughts that can get you through the tough times, and photos of loved ones.

Your home office doesn’t have to be grand to be extremely effective. Get a good chair so you can stop thinking about your back and put your creative brain to work on your next project. Use a whiteboard to generate big ideas, hub and spoke thought processes, and make connections that aren’t linear.