Workday Essentials: Corporate Office Edition

As I am adjusting to being back in the corporate office life, I have slowly started to take in what my workday essentials are for being back in the office.  I really appreciate everything that goes into having a hybrid-work life of in-office days and work from home days.  Being at the office is a great way to create a good work environment with your co-workers as well as having a place where you can hyper focus on projects.  My commute isn’t very long either taking around 20 minutes or less, but I enjoy this time to listen to an audiobook or a favorite podcast.  I also enjoy sitting at my cubicle, popping in some air pods and cozying into the workday.  Here are some of my workday essentials that make my workday more pleasurable and sets my day up for productive ease.

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• a small desk lamp

If I could veto one thing about office life, it would be fluorescent lights.  Luckily, I am close to some windows so that there is a little bit of natural light coming through, but I also brought in a small desk lamp with a warm lighting light bulb.  This helps to cut the harshness of the fluorescent lights and creates a space that is cozier and inviting to work in.

 

• Favorite pens and highlighters, etc.

You probably already know that I am a stationary loving girl, so this one is probably not a new concept. Even though the office does supply its workers with pens, highlighters, paper clips, etc., I like to purchase my own quality supplies to create a more pleasurable experience when using these items.  It elevates my workday experience as well as it creates a beautiful environment to work in.

• a desk pad

Since I am a hybrid worker, I have a dedicated laptop and mobile mouse and keyboard that I use for work.  The material at the top of cubicle is very slick and smooth, so a desk pad provides some stability when using these tools at my desk.  It also elevates the look of the desk as I chose an off-white desk pad which contrasts well with the brown color of the cubicle desktop.

• a laptop stand

I found an acrylic laptop stand at Target for $5.00 and decided to give it a try for my new desk and I was instantly happy that I did.  Not only does it help to provide more space on the desk, but it also makes the desk look tidier and more organized as well.

• a small grooming set

I keep a small bag in my cubicle with grooming/beauty products to use throughout the workday.  Just a few simple things such as lip gloss, emergency floss, hair ties, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, a small mirror, concealer, and nail clippers/nail file.  It’s a way to be prepared in case I need any of these items throughout the workday without having to carry them with me in my workbag every day.

• a desk coaster

Because I am always sipping on an iced coffee, but do not want to get water all over the desk I decided to get a dedicated coaster for my cubicle.  I got this coaster from Anthropologie and love that it has an elevated edge and it’s porous, so it catches the water instead of a flat coaster where the water often runs off of it onto the desk anyways.

• a quality workbag with organizer insert

I do have a laptop that I carry to and from the office, so I wanted to make sure that I also had a stylish, quality bag for work.  I got this Italian leather bag from Banana Republic back in 2017 and then also purchased the organizer insert from Amazon at the same time.  Even when I was working from home full time, I still kept this bag as it is also a great bag for long flights too. This bag is truly never full no matter how much stuff I may need to put it in throughout the day.

• foldable ballet flats

When I am in the office, I am almost always a heels girl. I love high heeled shoes and think they look so chic and professional, but you never know when something may happen where you can’t wear them after you get to work.  You could have an accident where you hurt your ankle/foot, your shoes could become damaged, you could be wearing new shoes that are causing a blister, it could rain very hard outside when you’re leaving, you need to take a long walk to the other side of the office, and so much more.  A pair of foldable ballet flats will help ensure that if there is a situation where you can no longer wear your heels that you are covered with an easy option until you get back home.