4 Workspace Must-Haves for the WFH Professional

Gear up your WFH workspace to provide the essentials you need and the creature comforts you crave.

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Your WFH workspace. It has the potential to stir creative juices, foster your genius, provide comfort and keep you on track in your professional achievements. On the flip side, it can be so far away from providing any of those things that the mere thought of rolling out of bed and schlepping over to your desk (ahem...coffee table?) makes you groan and hit the snooze button on your alarm.

Unfortunately, many WFH professionals don't have a full-on, generously appointed office at home, let alone a quiet space that will simply allow them to think.

This post is about creating a dedicated WFH setup with all the necessary business tools to support you at your fingertips, combined with any of the creature comforts you need. (Yes, I said need). The type of space you want to be in, that'll help foster laser concentration and allow you to put out some high production that the bosses will notice. (Much needed annual raise or nice holiday bonus anyone?)

A workspace should be designed to induce creative thought, help you formulate business solutions, bring about job stability, and support you in generating the income you desire.

Setting up a WFH workspace with all of the necessary components doesn't just happen overnight, especially when you factor in the time and financial resources it will take. But it should be prioritized as an ongoing project if you want to give yourself a better and better chance of getting ahead professionally.

Here are the 4 must-have elements of a WFH workspace.

1. Comfort

Notice how "comfort" is placed at the top of the list? That was intentional. How can you sit, stand (or recline) for hours to do your work if you're uncomfortable? Or worse yet, if you're in pain. It's just not possible to perform well when you have ergonomic issues with the chairs or other furniture in your workspace.

As you do an assessment of your own workspace, be sure to think about these vital components:

Chair - is yours comfortable? Ergonomically designed?

The right chair can make the difference between longevity on the job or being one step away from disability. Don't settle for second best on such an important piece of office furniture!

Desk - is it the right height? Does it have enough table top to accommodate your needs?

There are so many options out there to get the right fit for your body so you don't experience arm fatigue or neck pain.

Couch or recliner - because it can literally be a pain to sit in a chair all day!

If you're limited on square footage in your workspace, you can get a single-person folding futon just to give your body a break and have a change of position.

Heating - keeping your hands and feet warm during winter with a floor or desktop portable heater is a must!

Cooling - you don't have to suffer because your apartment has no central AC. There are portable desktop units that will help you keep your cool through the workday.

2. Inspiration

Nothing can be more soul-sucking than having a job that is completely uninspiring. With the right WFH environment, you can provide your own inspiration.

Check out these easy elements that anyone can incorporate into their WFH workspace as prompts to increase imagination and motivation on the job:

Reading Material - having a home library full of creative and professional books and reading material is always a great go-to source of inspiration. There's nothing like a good solid book with helpful information at your fingertips to give you the shot of creativity you need to help keep you moving in the right direction.

Wall art - want your favorite super hero watching over you while you conquer the professional world? Or how about a picture of your favorite vacation destination to keep you moving through the work day?

Wall art can be inexpensive to purchase yet really keep one encouraged.

Art supplies - bring your ideas to life by drawing a quick sketch using colored pencils, or making a 3D rep of your concept in modeling clay. These aren't the only mediums of creative expression so for sure get a supply of materials that suit you best.

The point is, you want to get some "hands-on," malleable materials where you can get out of your own head, take a break from the computer and slap something down in front of you that will help rejuvenate and bring fresh ideas to the job.

Music - this artistic medium is a must-have for so many professionals, and thank gosh that working from home now makes it so much easier to have this component included in your job "toolbox."

Models - are you a gaming engineer, a graphic artist, a writer? Actually, with any job it helps when you can visualize in real time the concept that you're working on. And models can come in so many forms. Create your own or buy them online. The basic premise is to take the idea or subject you're working on, or simply one that uplifts you, and get it represented in 3D. Customize it, change it up, let it inspire and help spawn new ideas. Set up a workflow using models made from anything, arrange and rearrange until those brilliant ideas start pouring in! Work out problems and come to solutions, or just admire your 3D creations to help get you through the day!

3. Professional Tools

When it comes to presenting yourself and your ideas, you need to think "pro business communications" all the way. And by extension, think high-quality but affordable technology to facilitate and convey those communications.

Check out these essentials for getting your messages across in the best possible way:

Computer/printer - these 2 office components are so affordable now that no one has to skimp on finding the right computer and printer with the features you need.

Audio/Visual - even though both audio and visual are embedded features of your computer, you may want to think about extending your AV capabilities beyond stock computer components.

Think studio-quality microphones and video cameras for podcasting and vlogging, and digital cameras for product shots or website graphics.

Headsets - headsets can be an important part of putting forth a professional image when it comes to noise cancellation and sound quality. Don't have dogs barking in the background or let traffic noises interrupt you in the middle of an important conversation!

4. Nourishment

This may be the most important component of a WFH workspace, or at least tied for first with the element of "comfort." It's important to physically, mentally and emotionally nourish yourself at regular intervals. It will help keep you going for the long-haul. If you can't keep yourself energized to keep going at things consistently, then all the other components of a great workspace won't matter much!

Keep these things in mind when working out your nourishment needs:

Food - fresh nutritious food with the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat is crucial if you don't want to be on the floor of your workspace taking a nap mid-afternoon when you should be Zooming with the rest of department.

Hydration - a steady supply of clean drinking water and other healthy hydration that will provide essential minerals and electrolytes that'll go a long way toward keeping exhaustion at bay.

Vitamins - If you eat a healthy diet regularly, you may or may not feel the need for extra nutrients. But if you're taking shortcuts on nutritious food because you just don't have the time to pay attention to it like you should, then be sure to stock up on some good daily vites!

Oxygen - bad indoor air quality or having a WFH workspace that doesn't breathe or allow fresh air to come in and circulate can cause fatigue, lethargy, and a foggy brain. This can make it hard for you to focus or even communicate.

Depending on what your workspace needs, there are many options to improve air quality including window fans, air filters, air circulators and more.

Physical exercise - sitting in one place too long and staring at a computer screen all day can can cause major difficulties like strained eyes, impaired vision, neck and back problems, tingling and numbness in the extremities and more. This can make it very difficult to focus or even function.

Be sure to include regular periods of movement in your daily schedule. There are many ways to do this and many types of office equipment that can support movement. One of the simplest things you can do is take a walk on your breaks.

Some other basic office solutions are having a desk riser so you can stand and sit at regular intervals. You can also set up your space with indoor sports or exercise equipment such as a yoga mat, basket ball hoop, putting green, dart board, etc. (Working from home is awesome right?!)

The point is move, stretch and get your blood flowing!

Rest - ever hear of a power nap? It's perfectly valid to take breaks to rest your body through your workday. Sometimes your body needs this rest period to reset and reinvigorate.

Be sure to have a supportive couch, futon or mattress that will help you rest in comfort.

Plants and animals - because we're creatures of co-habitation, some of us don't quite feel complete without some sort of animal or plant species surrounding us with support and providing cuteness overload while we take on the work-a-day world.

Just be sure that your particular choice of support keeps their opinions to themselves while you're on the phone. (And we're not talking about the plants.)

Summary

What are the best parts of your WFH workspace? Are there aspects of it that are making it hard to get ahead? Throw us a comment below and tell us what you love and hate about your unique workspace. We want to know how the professional world is working from home!