Even with a vaccine on the way, working from home (WFH) looks to remain an important feature of our future lives. So, to manage the challenges that remote working can bring, and with a nod to the no-less-demanding search for the perfect gift, here are our top ten ideas to keep you performing at your best in the new year and beyond.
It’s hard for people at home to know when you don’t want to be interupted. But this digital status light on your desk or home office door will let people know right away when not to disturb the bear. It’s made with a Raspberry Pi homemade computer and integrates with Microsoft Teams so it can automatically signal when you’re on a call or in a meeting. A fun and interesting festive holiday project.
A UCLA study found that living and working in a cluttered space can lead our cortisol levels to rise, heightening stress and leaving us feeling a bit frazzled.
This humble pencil case will transform you into an adult organisation ninja. Use it to store your pens, smart keys, earbuds and charging cables and you’ll waste no more time looking at the bottom of dark bags or crowded drawers for that small, important thing you now can’t find. Plus, you’ll be ready to go and work somewhere else at the drop of a hat. BONUS: the option we suggest here won’t leave you feeling silly when you take it out of your laptop bag at work.
According to research, we’re likely to have at least six wired devices on or around our desks. Manage the resulting cable stress (and trip risk) with this wireless charging stand for your mobile phone; it neatly holds and charges your phone and has extra USB ports so you can charge other accessories without needing more plug sockets. Nice to know it also sits your device at the perfect angle for effortless checking of messenger notifications and video calls via your phone.
Can you really say that eating at your desk is a costless activity? A desk and keyboard vacuum gives you the same self-discipline buzz as making your bed every morning and is the perfect distraction activity when you want to award yourself a productive break. This one is rechargeable via USB and comes with a fun screen-cleaning gel (also mildly addictive).
Far from making us lazier, remote working brings an increased risk of burnout because there are fewer work/home boundaries and we tend to work more hours than we would at the office.
The Pomodoro Technique, developed in the 1980’s by Francesco Cirillo and now used by millions, breaks down your work periods into 25 minute blocks (about as long as you can concentrate properly), interspersed by short breaks. Each work block is called a Pomodoro after the tomato kitchen timer (left) Cirillo used in his original research. There are also many great Pomodoro apps available for your desktop.
Most computer screen backlighting is calibrated to suit a room in daylight. When working late, however, all that blue light can strain your eyes and inhibit production of the melatonin hormone that helps you to sleep. F.lux is a free app that provides a more responsive and gentle backlight, scientifically adjusting it to reflect the time of day and your environment. Tell f.lux where you live and what kind of lighting you have and it does the rest automatically.
7. Go green
There is lots of research about the mental health and productivity benefits of working in good natural light and interacting with nature. Now, new evidence from Japan shows that being able to gaze upon a small indoor plant on your desk actively helps to reduce psychological and physiological stress. Talking to your plant or on a conference call? No one will ever know.
‘Sit less, move more’ studies have shown that even low-level aerobic activities can raise glucose and oxygen levels, release endorphins, and bring huge benefit to your mental and physiological game.
The Kendama is a traditional Japanese skill toy that has recently experienced a huge resurgence. Like a much cleverer yoyo, the Kendama’s tactile simplicity belies the hand-eye coordination, balance, and reflex development needed to master it, with an endless number of tricks to be learnt and demonstrated to your colleagues whilst waiting for people to join the video call. See a kendama in action.
If you play with a pen or paperclip when you’re thinking, 2021 may be the year to take it to the next level. The cognitive and psychological benefits of fidget toys and real and there are hundreds to choose from. We’d like to think this titanium spinner is what James Bond would choose.
Although you work in investment, from the way you air-drum to 1990’s soft rock it’s clear you should have joined a band. All is not lost: with a Cajon (a box-shaped percussion instrument from Peru) hidden under your desk, you can be both. Still not sure? Watch someone in a suit playing a cajon.