If you have been a military spouse entrepreneur for long, chances are, you’ve conducted remote work anywhere you can set up your laptop and get service on your phone. Raise your hand if you’ve ever used a moving box, storage bin, or flimsy card table for a desk! I used all three at various stages during last summer’s PCS alone when we were supposed to have a door-to-door move but it ended up taking more than a month to get our household goods because the moving company couldn’t find a crew to unload the truck.
But, just because you CAN work anywhere with only the barest of necessities doesn’t mean you should. If you spend a third of your day (or likely more) sitting in your home office, it’s time to uplevel the comfort and joy factors with some upgrades.
Here are three home office upgrades I started using in the last year that have been gamechangers:
UPGRADE YOUR OFFICE CHAIR
One advantage from working from home is that you can roam the house with your laptop. However, you may not always achieve the best ergonomics and you may start to have consequences show up in the form of migraines, stiff shoulders and neck, achy back, wrist pain, etc.
I had all of the above, so when I started doing work that significantly increased my time in front of a computer, I knew I needed to invest in a really good office chair with lumbar support and the ability to adjust seat and armrest height. After reading reviews and sitting in as many chairs I could find, the Herman Miller Aeron Chair was unmatched in comfort, adjustability, and size inclusivity (I’m only 5’2” so most chairs are too big!).
And I do mean invest. These chairs come with a four-digit price tag that can make a dent in a military family budget, but I was able to find one used on Craig’s List for a decent price. One of my favorite things is that I don’t kill my ankle bones when I throw ergonomics out the window and decide to sit in it cross legged!
UPGRADE YOUR DESK
Any flat surface will work, right? Nope! I sometimes spend more than half of my workday on video calls and I had two issues—my laptop sat way too low to be flattering or comfortable, and that’s way too many hours to be sitting in a chair. I was typically spending more hours of my day sitting than sleeping! So, I succumbed to an Instagram ad and purchased the Harmoni Stand-Up Desk. It lives up to the hype! It allows me to choose a good height for video calls whether I’m sitting or standing, and it allows me to stand during meetings if I choose, which significantly reduces the number of hours I spend sitting on my tush. Bonus that it’s a beautiful addition to my office.
UPGRADE YOUR TO-DO LIST
You could keep your to-do list on your phone, in your planner, or on any piece of paper. I had multiple projects going at once and I needed a way to prioritize and strategize my week as well as keep track of the chosen tasks for the week. Anybody else’s comprehensive to-do list too overwhelming to sort through on the daily? I finally found and upgraded to the Ink + Volt Dashboard that I’ve built into my Friday routine. I review my personal and work calendars for the week ahead, identify three top priorities for the week, outline six focus areas with associated to-dos, and track my three personal wellness non-negotiables. By going through the exercise of completing this dashboard, I’m able to rest better on the weekends because I’ve already reviewed the successes of the last week and have outlined what the week ahead is going to look like. It also helps me communicate needs with my family so nobody’s surprised during the work and school week.
These three upgrades that I made to my office during the last year have helped me boost my wellness, productivity, and communication! I wish the same for you in the months ahead. What are the best upgrades you’ve made to your home office?
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For over 20 years, Kimberly Bacso has driven organizational success by leading educational and wellness initiatives. Highly skilled in creating digital content strategies, she’s grown communities with word-of-mouth, grassroots approach. She is a proud U.S. military spouse who has founded thriving brands, transformed struggling outreach efforts, and catalyzed a group of 150+ writers from the ground up within the health and wellness space. When she’s not working, you can find her trying new plant-based recipes or traveling off the beaten path with her husband and teenage daughter.
