You spend almost half of your life at work. Your office is basically your weekday home but unlike you’re real home, here you are expected to be productive and get work done. Most office spaces have the same things–there’s rows of desks or cubicles, computer sets, and lines and lines of wires.
A typical office setup will not work for everyone. That’s why you should tweak your space in a way that will help you achieve maximum productivity. Your desk is a lot like your bed, the basic configuration is same wherever you go, but you customize it in a way that is comfortable for you.
You have to make sure that it reflects your personality and is clean and organized, conducive to how you work as an individual. You can start by taking a look at the 12 desk items below that will help you stay productive throughout your daily grind.
- File Organizer
This is a no-brainer. You’re bound to have multiple documents and folders scattered on your desk. You can’t be productive if you have all these clutter lying around. Develop a system for your file organizer so you’ll know where to get things when you need them. You also want to include a small holder for your pens, pencils, and markers to have them all in one place.
- Pen and Notebook
It’s always best that you have a pen and notebook around to jot down important information or bright ideas that suddenly come your way. Plus if you get bored and looking for something to do, you can doodle in the back pages to kill time. Or instead of a notebook, you can get yourself a planner. It’s convenient because different sections are allotted for the calendar, your contacts and notes.
- Headphones
If you work in an open space office, it’s nice to have over-ear headphones especially if you want to drown out unnecessary noise. For some people, listening to music is the only way they can concentrate on their tasks. It’s also the only appropriate way to blast music on your desk since everyone has different tastes. You’re not going to be entirely sure if the person beside you would like that trashy pop anthem you’re into right now.
- Cord Organizer
You’ve got your headphones, chargers and all the other cords that come with your desktop pc. It’s a mess, to say the least. So you won’t be scrambling around, get a cord organizer. There’s nothing worse than a set of entangled cords and you honestly don’t know which is which. Buy a cord organizer to save you time and possibly your sanity. Label your cords accordingly as well while you’re at it.
- Succulent Plant
Though technically not a productivity item, it’s nice to have a living thing on your desk. Bring a piece of the outdoors in since you’ll be stuck inside the office for an entire day. A succulent plant is best for your desk because it’s easy to take care of and doesn’t require a lot of water. You don’t want a big puddle of water ruining your documents, do you?
- Copper Goblet
Add a touch of personality to your desk with a super cool copper mug that you can have personalized with your name or initials. Ditch your office’s disposable cups, have your coffee or tea breaks in style. This Moscow mule mug from Groovy Groomsmen Gifts, in particular, holds 16 ounces of your favorite drink and even has a badass pewter medallion on the side. Your colleagues will be so jealous, they might just steal it.
- Tumbler
You have to stay hydrated to sustain you throughout the day. You think that just because you’re inside an air-conditioned office and you’re sitting the entire time that your body doesn’t need water, think again pal. A tumbler on your desk is a convenient way to keep your water cool and on arm’s length. Now you don’t have any excuses to not keep yourself hydrated.
- Humidifier
Most offices have one, usually industry grade but it might be far from your desk. Solution? Get yourself a portable USB powered humidifier than you can connect to your pc if you don’t like stuffy air. Humidifiers are also known to prevent dry skin and chapped lips, and the transfer of cold germs. You can even add scents or oils into the water if that’s your thing.
- Gum
If you’re stuck on something, grab a gum or breath mints. There have been several cases that show chewing on gum while doing a task boosts productivity and focus. Though there has not been any definitive study to concretely prove this, it never hurts to try. It might just work on you. Other studies attribute the increased productivity not necessarily on the gum but on the act of chewing itself.
- Stress Ball
Stress balls are named that way for a reason. Sometimes when you’re swamped from all the work that you have been doing, you need a breather to help you get by. Grab one of these babies and squeeze away. Other people use it during brainstorming, sort of a physical representation of them squeezing their brain out for ideas. Stress balls are also good for your blood circulation.
- Hand Sanitizer
That mouse and keyboard you’ve been fondling for hours on end are filthy. Those harmless looking files might just have dust on them. Keep your hands clean by dabbing on sanitizer from time to time. Whether you believe the advertising that sanitizers kill 99.9% of germs or not, it’s always best to err on the safe side. Having clean hands reduces the risk of the common cold and diarrhea.
- Tissue
No one likes a dirty workstation. No one expects you to get the job done if there’s spilled coffee or breadcrumbs all over your desk. Clean your mess up with a bunch of tissues. Their also quite handy if you’re feeling under the weather. Keep your germs to yourself when you sneeze or fix your runny nose. Remember that an office is a communal space, don’t share something that doesn’t need to be shared.
