Whether you’re working remotely in a foreign country or in the USA, there are some common things that we can all agree are essential for a great remote work environment.
From two sisters working from home, one in the USA and the other in Perú, we’ve curated a list of all our favorite things for our remote work environments. From noise-canceling headphones – because, hello – roosters, to the perfect office chair. Whether you’re enjoying the vibrant culture of Perú or live and work Stateside, these essentials will help you create a productive and comfortable workspace.
So let’s get into it!
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Ring Light
Using a ring light is a game-changer for video calls and virtual meetings.
Speaking as someone who personally has terrible lighting in their remote work environment, a ring light makes a huge difference on calls. It ensures you’re well-lit and professional-looking, no matter the time of day or lighting conditions. Perfect for making a great impression!
Personally, we love this ring light. It comes with many awesome features, like wireless control via your phone, several different light modes, and it even comes with its own tripod!
Lap Desk
Maybe it’s just me, but there are some days when I prefer to work from the comfort of my bed instead of sitting at my desk. Using a lap desk provides a stable surface for my laptop and mouse, without my laptop getting overheated by sitting on top of a blanket all day.
Personally, I’m one of those fidgety, criss-cross applesauce girlies who can’t sit still in a desk chair all day. I find most desk chairs uncomfortable. But I thrive with a lap desk!
A Fan
A fan is crucial for maintaining a comfortable remote work environment. It helps you to stay cool or warm and focused during a busy work day. There is nothing worse than working in a stuffy – or freezing – room and being unable to properly control the temperature.
The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 is our personal favorite. It offers both hot and cool functions, oscillates, purifies, and is really good at offering full room coverage.
Office Chair
Picking the right office chair is crucial to increasing productivity. If you can’t sit comfortably, you’re never going to focus. Of course, the right office chair is different for everyone, but our personal fav is this one from Humanscale. It offers both good support and comfort. Investing in this chair has helped us to maintain proper posture and reduce back pain.
Sister perspective:
- E: While I don’t have this particular chair in my home office in Perú, when I visit my sister Stateside she lets me work from her desk and I’ve gotten to experience firsthand just how nice this chair really is. It is so comfortable and offers great support. I will say since I do like to move around in my chair I tend to float between my lap desk and an office chair throughout the day.
- J: This chair has great lumbar support and is highly ergonomically adjustable! If you have to sit at a desk all day it’s a very comfortable chair.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Whether you’re living in a city with heavy traffic or battling local noises in a foreign country, noise-canceling headphones are a must.
To be honest, noise-canceling headphones are not going to be perfect at keeping every noise out. I mean, as you can see from the above video, roosters can get pretty loud. But I find that controlling my remote work environment to the best of my ability is what matters. So I invest in a quality pair of headphones since a lot of my workday is spent on the phone.
I know a pair of headphones like these noise-canceling Beats Studio Pros can get pricey, but to me, headphones aren’t just an investment for work, they’re also an investment for my traveling hobby. I often spend many hours riding on buses or planes on my way to my next adventure, and believe me, road sounds and your snoring seat neighbors can get quite loud.
Also, a little interesting Peruvian culture shock for you: things that are more common sense for proper courtesy in the USA, like not listening to your phone on full volume in public and scrolling through social media with headphones in, aren’t really things in Perú. I have been on many buses with loud social media scrolling seatmates. So I can’t recommend noise-canceling headphones enough.
Calendar
No matter how hard I try, I can never get fully onboard with a digital calendar. I’ve tried adding Birthdays to my Google calendar and scheduling out events, but honestly, nothing beats a physical calendar that you can walk up to, write important dates on, and draw Xs and Os all over.
We like the Eat Local calendar by Maria Schoettler, because, well, it’s pretty. We even found a way to easily upcycle this calendar when the year has ended, because letting go of such a pretty calendar is so sad. Check out this post to see what we turned ours into right after the New Year.
Magnetic calendars for the fridge are also great! My fellow remote work friend from the USA recommends this one, which uses dry-erase markers to customize each month, making it reusable.
Glasses Wipes
Fingerprint smudges on your computer screen, video camera, or work glasses can be so annoying – and embarrassing! Keeping a drawer or cupholder full of quality lens wipes on hand for any smudge-worthy emergency helps you to control your environment and thrive during a busy work day.
I mean, you know that feeling right? That fresh, clear feeling when you put on a pair of glasses that have just been cleaned? Suddenly you open your eyes and it’s like you have a completely new outlook on life. Like you can breathe, kick it into high gear, and get some work done.
This is my husband’s personal fav lens wipe. They’re individually wrapped and pack well when we want to take them along with us when we travel. Plus, you can use them on your phone and computer screens in addition to your glasses.
Trash Can
My desk gets so cluttered during the week, I’m a paper collector as I scribble notes during work, napkins from lunch end up here somehow, and even thread from my sewing projects. During work, I’m not really putting a lot of effort into keeping my remote work environment tidy. That’s why I had to make some changes – because who has time to deep clean on the weekend when we’ve got sewing and adventures to get to!?
I like to keep a mini trash can under my desk so I can clean as I use things, eliminating the need to come back again later and clean up. It’s perfect for disposing of tissues, scrap papers, lens cleaning wipe wrappers, and maintaining an organized desk. Oh, and don’t forget to stock up on mini trash bags as well!
Adjustable Computer Stand
Right off the bat, you may be thinking that some of these gadgets are an unnecessary addition, but having worked remotely since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, five days a week for eight-hour work days, all that time straining your neck looking at your laptop screen does add up. To protect your health in the long run it’s important to invest in the best setup for your remote work environment to keep you healthy and thriving not just now, but 10 years from now.
An adjustable computer stand allows you to customize the height and angle of your laptop. This ergonomic setup helps reduce strain on your neck and back, promoting better posture, which is a win-win in all books.
Water Bottle
If you want to encourage good habits, like drinking water daily, then it’s important to make it easy for yourself to do so. Staying hydrated and healthy is so much easier when you have a reliable water bottle that you can quickly and easily take with you whether at work or running errands. I personally find that I drink 10x more water during the day if have a reusable water bottle with me, compared to when I’m just drinking out of a cup.
Also, this should be obvious, but it’s not really best practice to keep open glasses next to your work computer – especially if you have a cat. The number of things my cat knocks over on my desk, not to mention my own clumsiness, tells me I really should be drinking from a water bottle to avoid ruining my computer.
Here’s our personal fav reusable water bottle. But I’m curious, what brand do you use?
To-Do List
I am a big sucker for to-do lists. Maybe it’s the gold in me, but a to-do list really helps me to keep on track and get things done. Sure, maybe I’m not getting everything on my list done every single day, but because things are written down, I don’t have to worry about forgetting to take care of them later in the week.
- I tend to like something like this weekly planner, which features the whole week on one page, plus space to add extra notes or to-dos at the bottom so nothing gets missed. This helps me to stay focused the whole week, but also write down my daily to-dos that are obvious and I do them every day – but it’s nice to at least cross off one thing daily, you know?
- A fellow work-from-home friend of mine also recommends this one, which is a more focused to-do list, zeroing in on one day at a time. As an added bonus, it comes with lots of pretty color options!
Of course, make sure you stock up on pens and highlighters for your desk setup too!
With these essentials, you’ll be able to create a productive, comfortable, and inspiring workspace. Ready to elevate your remote work game? Click on some of the links to get started shopping these amazing products and transform your work environment today!
What items are on your essential list for your remote work environment? Drop a link below so I can check them out and continue building my space!
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P.S. If you’re looking for an activity you can do on a bad flare day and from bed or with your virtual community, download our free trivia here.
Playing trivia is a great way to still participate in fun activities with your friends and family without ever leaving the comfort of your bed. It’s perfect for keeping in touch with friends who you may not be able to visit regularly. Check it out and let us know what you think! 👇
