If your workplace is like one of the many across several nations that have started to implement more safety precautions in light of the new coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably wondering how you can possibly prepare to handle a work from home arrangement over the next few weeks or even months.

While everyone else is busy stockpiling on bottled water and toilet paper, remain calm and level headed by setting up your home for optimal work from home success.

Here are the top 5 essentials you’ll need if you will be working from home or working remotely due to the coronavirus:

  1. Designated Work Station – You don’t necessarily need a dedicated room or home office but you do need an area where you can get set up and sit down to work. This can be a spare room, your basement or even your dining room table. Just make sure you have a surface area where you can sit and use your computer/laptop and take calls.
    workstation with laptop, coffee, mobile, notepad

    Photo Source: Unsplash

  2. Laptop + Second Monitor – It goes without saying that if you’re like most remote workers these days, you will most definitely need a laptop and perhaps an additional monitor set up. Laptop screens are generally very small, typically ranging from 13″-15″ so having that additional monitor set up (ideally 21-27″) can greatly improve your productivity when you’re checking emails or viewing documents.
  3. High Speed Internet – It’s really hard to get anything done without a good internet connection these days. Think about the last time your internet went down. What did you do? As more office workers are being told to work remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, having a high speed internet connection at home is a must have! Make sure yours is up to speed if you plan on taking video calls at home. Check out https://www.speedtest.net/
    women working on laptop and monitor

    Photo Source: Unsplash

  4. Coffee + Lots of Snacks – Contrary to popular belief, those who work from home often end up working longer hours. It’s easy to get into the zone in front of your computer when you’re in the comfort of your quiet home, without the usual distractions of being in an office environment. That said, coffee is an essential for caffeine enthusiasts to get the morning going and plenty of snacks to stay energized throughout the afternoon.
    Snacks

    Photo Source: Unsplash

  5. Blue Light Blocking Glasses – Working from home entails longer stretches in front of electronic devices such as the computer working away, taking conference calls or even working off of our mobile phones or tablet devices. These longer hours using these devices can really put a strain on our eyes causing headaches or making it difficult to sleep at night. If you haven’t already given it a try, blue light blocking glasses help with this. BEVAN & BLAIR blue light blocking glasses, ranging from $25-35, can block up to 60% of harmful blue light rays. They even come in readers, if that’s what you need.

    BEVAN & BLAIR PC Blue Light Blocking Glasses Kit on Amazon.com