Working from home has made many of us re-evaluate our office essentials.
At first I thought all I needed was a table, a chair and a spot to call my own, but it turns out I was wrong. There is much more to an office than the basic furniture, so I’ve made a list of my 10 top office essentials.

1. Headphones

I cannot stress this enough – headphones are VITAL.
Sitting in the office with several people shouting at their screens is one of the most annoying things about the modern office. Even at home we’re often battling with general household noise and distractions. Investing in a good pair of headphones helps you moderate your volume, keep your conversations more private PLUS you get to listen to the music you like!

2. A Good Office Chair

If working from home over the last few months has taught me anything, it is that my old kitchen stools are no match for a decent office chair.
Being able to adjust the height, the back and overall position of your chair can help improve your productivity. Have a look at ergonomic chairs, and general office furniture. It is more important than many of us realise.

3. Ergonomic Keyboard

According to Windows Central “Ergonomic keyboards focus on natural hand and wrist position for long typing sessions”.
I find my ergonomic keyboard helps me type faster and more accurately, and is just generally more comfortable!

4. Footrest

Again, this is related to posture. If you’re short (like me) you find that your feet never do quite reach the floor properly. A little footrest is ideal for helping you maintain a good posture. But you don’t have to be short to benefit from a footrest. They are great for encouraging active sitting and reducing pressure on your legs.

5. Phone Charger

If you have a work phone and a personal phone, invest in some back up phone chargers. There is nothing worse than digging around in your bag when your phone is on 5% and you’ve got important calls to make.

6. Water Bottle

It is so important to keep yourself hydrated and having a nice water bottle on your desk is a great reminder to drink water!
Drinking water is also great for reducing stress, stopping headaches and improving general health which definitely makes it an office essential.

7. Hand Sanitiser

Now more than ever, it is important to take care of ourselves. While washing your hands is still the best method for keeping them clean, hand sanitiser is great for when you’re on the go, but also very handy for using on surfaces (desks, keyboards, phones etc)

8. Plants

It’s no lie that we LOVE office plants at The Racquets Court. They are amazing thing for many reasons.
Not only do they improve air quality, but they also improve attention span, lower stress, increase productivity and they look great!

9. Laptop Stand/Adjustable Monitor

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but posture is so important.
Being able to adjust your screen to the right height (top of the screen roughly at eye level) is essential to keeping your posture right and making your work-life easier.

10. Desk Tidy

Desk tidies come in all shapes, sizes and designs, but the main thing they all have in common is how useful they are for helping you stay organised. They often have small compartments for your notebook, pens, paperclips etc. Keeping a tidy desk makes it easier to keep things clean and stop you losing those important documents.

Think I’ve missed some office essentials out? Let me know in the comments below

Well, what a year!

It turns out that 2020 hasn’t quite gone as planned for most of us, but now we need to focus on how to adapt in this new world.

When we built The Racquets Court, the idea was to create a close-knit community. A place to build strong relationships, new collaborations and explore new and exciting projects. At the beginning of 2020, our memberships was growing steadily, enquiries were increasing and we were having new conversations with different organisations nearly every day. Lockdown meant we had to press pause on many things and think of ways we could continue to function as a workspace, but, a workspace where people feel safe and comfortable to work from.

What We’ve Done to Make Our Workspace Safe

We attended several (virtual) seminars about getting back to the office, making the office safer and co-working communities in general, all of which gave us some good ideas to explore for The Racquets Court. We took time to conduct research into our ideas and sought feedback from members, visitors and followers and finally arrived at ideas to improve the safety within our space and promote good health.

Air Circulation

Fortunately, The Racquets Court has a sophisticated air circulation system rather than air conditioning. Why is that important? The system continuously draws fresh, filtered air into the building and pushes out the air from inside. Therefore, you can feel confident that the air you breathe is as fresh as possible and filtered.

Our system is also more environmentally friendly than air conditioning, helping to protect our planet as well as our people.

And, on top of this, The Racquets Court has a self-opening glass roof for maximum fresh air. The clever thing is, it has rain sensors so it closes automatically when the weather turns.

Connectivity

We mention this regularly because it really is important – and getting more so with every day that passes. The Racquets Court is one of the few buildings in the North East connected to the Stellium Network. Our standard network speed is 200MB (up and down) via a gigabit carrier. This means your video conference calls and online collaboration platforms will perform better, enabling you to work for efficiently.

Temperature Scanner

Our research indicated that the majority of respondents felt safer with a temperature scanner at the entrance to their workplace. Although body temperature is not a substitute for COVID-19 testing, it does indicate whether someone should be entering The Racquets Court and our scanner gives an audible response and is capable of facial recognition. This therefore helps us to protect our members.

Social Distancing

We fully promote social distancing with The Racquets Court. The desks are spaced out throughout the building and we have reduced capacity in the smaller spaces such as meeting rooms and the main kitchen.

Hand Sanitising & Hand Washing

We have installed a hand sanitisation station at the entrance to the building and have ensured all sinks are stocked with Arran Aromatics luxury hand wash and hand cream. Regular handwashing and sanitising is drying out our hands (a small price to pay to prevent the spread of COVID-19), however as the colder months come, it is very important to look after hands – and moisturising will do that.

I’ve Got Bills, I’ve Got To Pay…

While many people have been enjoying working from home over the summer, as winter comes, the heating comes on and the bills go up. Our packages include utilities so your team can relax a bit when it comes to heating and electricity bills at home.

Bike Storage & Showers

Avoiding public transport can be a pain, but something many of us are doing. We have secure bike storage along with showers (Arran Aromatics toiletries provided) to help you get into work safely.

You can read more in our Safe Working Guide.

If you would like to explore workplace options at The Racquets Court, get in touch with a member of our team today.