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6 Desk Productivity Items You Won’t Be Able To Work Without
Whether you work from home or in an office, you’ve probably struggled with focus and productivity at one time or another. Maybe your workspace is generally distracting. Dogs and kids don’t care about that 2 pm Zoom meeting. Or perhaps you’re in a cubicle and the vibes are, to this point, uninspired. Your creativity can suffer when staring at blank gray walls for eight-plus hours a day.
Perhaps there’s a nifty tool you think could put a little more kick in your step, a gizmo that might make sure your productivity train is always on the rails. It’s just as important to treat your work self as it is to treat yourself when you’re trying to relax. Keep reading to discover six of our favorite desk productivity items to help you supercharge your focus and increase your creativity at work.
Our Top Picks
Hourglass Timer
We know what you’re thinking: Retro, right? But there’s a reason classic hourglass timers have withstood the test of time (we’re all about the puns here). They’re simple, reliable, and most importantly: they help visualize your time usage in a more tactile manner than digital clocks. And speaking of digital clocks, one added bonus of using an hourglass timer is that you’ll never have to worry about battery life.
The OrgaNice Hourglass Sand Timers come in a set with a 30-minute timer and 5-minute timer, meaning you’re perfectly set up to carve our productive blocks of time (30 minutes working, 5 minutes resting or scrolling). Their elegant and compact design make these a stylish and space-efficient addition to any desk.
Mini Zen Gardens
Being productive isn’t just about managing time. It’s also about managing stress and staying centered despite life’s distractions and irritations. Maybe you’d benefit from a bit of meditation. Imagine yourself in a blissful zen garden, firmly grounded, with the sand between your toes and the birds chirping around you.. This practice gets a whole lot easier when you bring the zen garden right to your desk.
Mini zen gardens are stress-relief tools that increase mindfulness. Some come with spheres to roll through the sand, others come with forks or combs.
The ENSO Zen Garden Kit gets you started with 4 stamp spheres representing balance, passion, fluidity, and inspiration. The 12″ circular tray fits perfectly to the side of a desk or on top of a cupboard or table. That’s plenty of room to concentrate on something other than checking off tasks. Pair this with the hourglass timers we mentioned above and you’ll have a 5 minute break to achieve balance and inspiration!
Timed Lock Container
Knowing thyself is the key to improvement. If thyself is anything like ourselves, not looking at your phone can be a real challenge for… thee. But seriously, if you’re struggling to stay off social media and stop doom-scrolling, it may be time to reduce temptation with the power of technology. Try tossing your cell phone in a timed lock box to make sure you’re focusing on our current tasks and goals. Then, set the timer and behold as you stop procrastinating — or at least stop procrastinating by checking your notifications.
You might recognize the KSafe from Shark Tank, where Lori Grenier and Nick Woodman invested in it (quite the endorsement). Put in your phones, controllers, tablets, even credit cards, if you’re prone to online shopping. And seize control of your schedule. You can even set the timer for several days, if you wish, and have a phone-free weekend — a digital vacay! If you make it through the whole weekend, let us know, and we’ll have to figure out a wall of fame for the bravest among you.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Speaking of eliminating distractions, while the timed safe we mentioned above might help you stop checking your phone, there are still environmental diversions to worry about. Neighbors mowing their lawn, kids playing and arguing, significant others stomping around the house. Cut out all the noise and immerse yourself in a world of silence, or perhaps classical music, if that’s your style, to stay focused.
Alternatively, you can go the other way and use crystal-clear pop music to hype you up through a task. Either way, you can fully control your audio environment with a pair of high-quality noise-canceling headphones.
A solid pair of headphones is worth shelling out for, especially if they have a long battery life and crisp sound that can transport you from your room to wherever your zone is. That’s why we’re recommending going for the Bose Headphones 700. With 20 hours of battery life, a design that fits perfectly around your ears, and clear and full sound, this’ll be the last pair of headphones you ever purchase. You can even connect it directly to your Spotify playlists with just one button.
Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse
An ergonomic keyboard and mouse set is the kind of purchase that you’ll almost always wish you picked up sooner. The design of these devices eases the strain on your wrists and fingers and it can even allow you to sit up straighter. That combination gets you longer productivity sessions in the short term and improved physical health in the long term. Win-win.
The Meetion Ergonomic Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Set comes with a built-in wrist rest to reduce strain on your hands, wrists, and arms. The mouse itself has adjustable DPI settings so you can modify sensitivity and speed depending on the tasks you’re working on. By the way, the built-in batteries pack a real punch, lasting up to 4-5 months on a single charge.
Attachable Desk Drawer
We’ve highlighted several items that make the most of your desk space, but how about expanding it entirely? Using an attachable desk drawer allows you to declutter your work area and increase your storage capacity. Pencils, sticky notes, calculators and more – store your work materials within reach so you never have to disrupt your workflow.
The NYCCO Underdesk Drawer is easily attachable thanks to its 4 mounting brackets. The smooth ball-bearing slides ensure easy (and smooth) access, and the compartment is well-sized to accommodate almost any material you might want to have on hand.
Set Yourself up for Success
Life is chaotic, noisy, and distracting. Managing to carve out periods of uninterrupted productivity is a challenge you want to be well-equipped to meet, whether you work from home or in an office. With these desk productivity items in, on, and around your desk, a solution to help you to meet your goals will always be within arm’s reach. Just remember that breaks and stress-relief are just as important as locking in when it comes to long-term success.
For more useful tools when it comes to productivity and beyond, make sure to check back in with us at Shopper Advocate. Thanks to productivity tools like these we’re quite efficient at keeping articles like this one coming.
