10 Essential Things You Should Have At Your Office Desk

We spend a lot of our lives sitting at our desk and that is why we need to kit them out with the everyday essentials and little touches which make our days bearable. For many, your desk at work is like a second home.

In some cases, you could probably put up a camp bed and live there if needed. For some, it takes years to get everything in place, but finally they nail it. You can circumvent that time and effort though, by knowing up front the things you need at your desk:

Spare Phone Charger 

These days mobile phones are a big part of our lives. When the battery runs out it can feel like you’ve lost the function of one of your limbs.

Keep a spare charger in your drawer at work so you can have full battery power in case you break down on the way home, need to send an important message, or just want to relieve the stress and watch a video of a cat climbing curtains.

Light Snacks 

Offices are full of sugary temptation: Cakes for someone’s birthday, vending machine in the lobby, and biscuits in the office… eating one of these sugary treats is going to ruin your diet.

Take a selection of nice healthy snacks to the office with you. Choose snacks that will keep you going like rice cakes, trail mix, walnuts, bananas or raisins.

Tissues 

Even if you haven’t got a cold, stock your desk with a pack of tissues. There’s nothing worse than the boss coming in for a desk-side chat only for you to sneeze all over his new suit. Plan ahead and have a box of tissues to hand.

Mints 

Ever had a meeting with someone who had a tuna and onion sandwich for lunch? Pretty nasty eh? Keep some breath mints or mouthwash in your drawer so you are not that person who everyone is avoiding post lunch.

Water bottle 

We all know we are meant to drink a certain amount of water every day, but there are some people who spend more time at the teapot than the water cooler. Hydrate yourself at work and you’ll find yourself focused and productive. Aim to drink a couple of bottles full each day and become a member of the hydrated team.

Pictures of people you love

Looking at a picture and remembering that you’re loved by someone can actually make the day more bearable. Apparently it relieves stress too. Have a snap of your partner, family or dog in a frame on your desk to remind you even when you’re having a tough day; they are there to make you smile when you get home.

Deodorant 

Rather than hope that you never have that dreaded day when you forgot to put on deodorant in the morning and have to walk around with your elbows stuck to your ribs all day, keep a deodorant in your desk. It is also good if you are going on a date after work. Freshen up in the bathroom with a splash of perfume or aftershave and deodorant. Don’t arrive at your date smelling like stagnant office. You know the smell - the one that hits your nostrils when you walk back in to a heated and closed up office after lunch. Not quite as bad as teenagers after PE but still pretty stale.

A list of the day’s activities 

Got your head in a whirlwind of things you need to do but don’t know where to start? Get your thoughts down on a piece of paper and then prioritize accordingly. This will help you to see what needs doing much clearer and will ensure that it all gets done. Depending on what motivates you, it might be a wall planner of fancy colors, a cat calendar or a fancy-schmancy Filofax, planner type thingy.

A Friday treat 

We all love that warm tingly feeling that Friday brings. Two days and no work, let’s celebrate! Treat yourself to something on a Friday, whether it is having something to wear at the weekend delivered to the office, or just your favorite chocolate bar. Keep your treat at your desk until the 3pm Friday hump hits, and then enjoy.

Music device 

Do you have a colleague who chews gum distractedly loud? Don’t let your stress levels boil over; listen to your favorite tunes on your music device. Make up a playlist that is full of music that doesn't make you sing out loud and dance around the office. Go for something you find easy to work to. When you’re working late and no one is about plug in the speakers for a bit of background noise.