I Would Never Have Bought These If Quarantine Never Happened

Like many others in the world, I’ve been working from home for more than a year. This adjustment was difficult in the beginning due to being acclimated to waking up early in the morning, getting ready, riding public transportation to the office, and bidding a good morning to my teammates. Oh and “making the multiple walks to the office kitchen to get the free cups of coffee” available. Things are different now. I wake up around 7:15 a.m. vs. 5:45 a.m., I’m able to cook my breakfast and make my coffee without rushing and there’s time in the morning to read a bit.

For the first few months of working from home, I worked without a desk. I shifted from a homemade stack of thick books to make a standing desk to using the kitchen island to sit and work at. Also, working from the couch is comfy and all but never provided motivation for me. I knew that I needed to invest in something where I’m able to concentrate and feel productive. This was the first time in my life that I bought a desk. The first one I bought was a used leaning desk from Crate and Barrel. The dark wood wasn’t vibing with my aesthetic, so I went on to paint it white. That was quite the journey but I shifted from the leaning desk to a new one.

I sold that desk through my local OfferUp, a platform to buy and sell your items and furniture locally, and purchased an ergonomic standing desk. This desk is customizable and I can either have it be a standing desk or a sitting desk. I love that I’m able to change the hardware around to fit my space and needs. It only takes 10 minutes or so to assemble to my liking. Keeping on the theme with work-related things, the next item I bought was a daily planner. In 2019, I realized that creating multiple sticky notes on my computer with the day’s tasks was useless. Instead, my co-worker recommended that because of the way I worked, I would benefit from a physical daily planner.

Boy were they right. I got mine from Papier and what I enjoy about it is that it’s customizable. Mine has my name on it and there are many design choices available to choose from. Now, for my next item, it’s safe to say that I don’t know how I would've survived the first few weeks of quarantine without it. I wouldn’t say that I’m a hardcore gamer but I’ve been a fan of Animal Crossing: Wild World when I was a kid. So, when the Animal Crossing Switch came out, I knew I had to get it. I had to buy it no matter what. In March 2020, I bought one for about 50% more than the original price. Then during the fall of 2020, they re-released it. Was I a bit salty? Just a little, but I don’t regret my purchase. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was able to provide comfort and connection with friends.

The next item was a true essential: cozy socks for home. I noticed when I’m working throughout the day that my feet get cold. It’s such a small change but makes a big impact during my day. My toes stay warm and I’m more comfortable. The last item would be noise canceling wireless headphones. Such. A. Lifesaver. I live in an area that has construction at times and usually noisy neighbors. Before my irritation rises, I put on my headphones and am able to cancel out outside sounds. I bought Bose headphones on eBay and I wish I had bought them sooner! I highly recommend to get work done and phase off distractions.

I’m curious to know if there’s anything you’ve purchased within the last year of working from home. Share them below!