I made my dream office, and these are 6 things I couldn't work from home without

I recently moved house and I’ve been loving unpacking and decorating each room to make it my own. I’ve already made my dream kitchen and I’ve recently finished my home office, and I’m obsessed with it. I spend a large chunk of my time there, and I’ve made it into a productive sanctuary where I can work at my best.

I’m a hybrid worker, so I have a mix of going into the office and working from home. Working from home is like marmite – some people love it while others hate it. I’m firmly in the former camp so when I moved house, I was so excited to have a proper home office to work in.

When I was previously living in a one bed flat, I used to work at my dining room table which wasn’t particularly comfortable and there were tons of distractions. Having a dedicated room that I can work in productively and close the door and walk away from after a long day has made a world of difference… and these are the six things I couldn’t work from home without.

1. Monitor

While I predominantly work off a laptop, I have a Samsung monitor in the office on top of my desk. When my fiancé works in the home office, he uses it to have double screens, and it makes flicking through tabs and answering emails much easier. I’ve since linked up my laptop to the monitor and have enjoyed having two screens at my disposal. On my laptop, I predominantly use it for writing but the monitor is where I have all my emails, chats and other scheduling on. It’s made working from home much more productive. See our guide to the best 4K monitor for top picks for your home office.

2. Comfortable office chair

As I mentioned above, I used to work from my dining room table which meant I sat in a dining room chair. No matter what I did – padding it with pillows, regular standing breaks and stretching out my legs – I could never get comfortable so I decided to get the best office chair when moving to the new house. It’s made a world of difference to my concentration levels and back pain. Before, I would curl up and rest my feet on another chair or sit cross legged to try and find a comfortable position, but now, I’m more than happy to sit in my office chair normally without having to take too many breaks.

3. Charging pad

While it can sometimes be a distraction, I always have my phone in the office with me. If I’ve got to head out at lunch to pick something up or I’ve got plans immediately after work, I’ve found it helpful to have the best wireless charging pad in the office to quickly recharge my phone while I’m working. Having it on the charging pad also means I’m less likely to use it and I’ve trained myself to put my phone on it even if it’s not charging so I ignore it for most of the day!

4. Raised laptop stand

Occasionally, I’ll link my laptop up to the monitor, but most of the time, I like having one screen to work from. But looking down at your laptop for too long can strain your body and give you the dreaded ‘tech neck’. To avoid this, it’s important to have your laptop at eye level, so I got myself a raised laptop stand. Having my laptop at this level has stopped me from hunching over it, improving my posture and making me sit up straighter. It also makes my home office look more professional and makes me feel like I can see more of what’s going on on my laptop.

5. Alarm clock

We’ve all been there: we’ve gone to check the time on our phones and suddenly, we’ve spent 20 minutes scrolling through Instagram. To cut out this distraction, I put an alarm clock in the office so I can see the time at a quick glance. The clock I’ve used is the Lumie Sunrise Alarm which is actually one of the best wake up lights. While I loved using the Lumie Sunrise Alarm in the mornings, I’ve found using it in my office much more beneficial. It has a fun display and as you can play with different lights and sounds, I like setting it during the day to remind myself to take breaks. Using the sunset cycle towards the end of the day also helps me start to switch off from work.

6. Massage pillow

Even with the best equipment at your disposal, it’s still not the most comfortable thing in the world to sit at a desk for eight hours a day. If I’m feeling sleepy or achy, I like to switch on the best massage pillow to give my neck and back a quick break. Using a massage pad rather than a full chair means I can sit in my office chair and have it on while I go through emails and other tasks. It’s nice to give yourself some TLC after all!

For more WFH advice, here are 5 ways to improve your home office.