More companies have been asking their employees to return to the office after a long, pandemic-induced period of working from home. One change this transition brings is not being able to access needed personal items from your household’s ample stock of supplies; you have to import all the things you like to have on hand into your professional home away from home. To make your in-person workday as effective and bearable as possible, consider setting up your office desk with the following items:
- Clothes. A spare suit or sport jacket for impromptu but important meetings, a sweater or sweatshirt to manage aggressive A/C, and a spare shirt and pants in the event of a spill.
- Toiletries. Deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, and cologne in case you need to freshen yourself up for lunches, meetings, and after-work cocktails.
- Lint Roller. For when you look down and notice your clothes are covered with lint or pet hair.
- Breath Mints/Gum. For when you need to freshen the breath, chomp your way through stress, or alleviate boredom with a minty palate pleaser.
- Hand Sanitizer. Keep germs at bay in a communal space.
- Snacks. Something healthy with a long shelf life, like almonds.
- Framed Pictures. Of family and friends.
- Cash. You never know when you’ll need some greenbacks. $40 and a handful of coins should do it.
- Novel. To read over lunch and rest your eyes from heavy screen usage for five to ten minutes every hour (should your boss allow it).
- Headphones. A godsend for your productivity, especially in cubicle farms.
- Water Bottle. Stay hydrated and eliminate waste.
- Phone Charger. Keep your constant companion at full power for important uses, and definitely not to check Instagram.
- Umbrella. For rainy day walks to lunch/your car.
- Notebook and Pen. For jotting down all your industry-disrupting, career-advancing ideas.
- Mug. A vessel for coffee and tea pick-me-ups.
