{"id":4230,"date":"2018-06-20T20:13:24","date_gmt":"2018-06-20T20:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/?p=4230"},"modified":"2018-06-20T20:37:59","modified_gmt":"2018-06-20T20:37:59","slug":"7-things-to-keep-at-your-desk-at-all-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/7-things-to-keep-at-your-desk-at-all-times\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Things to Keep at Your Desk at All Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us spend a good chunk of our waking lives at work. So it\u2019s no wonder that, as companies strive to attract and retain today\u2019s workers, offices are getting more comfortable and flexible. Indeed, while companies like Facebook<\/a> and Google<\/a> have raised the bar on convenience, offering everything from free meals to vending machines that dispense computer equipment, the truth is that anyone can make their life a bit easier at work just by setting themselves up to have a few things handy.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a guide to the essential items you should keep at your desk at all times.<\/p>\n

1. A charging cable.<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing how many of us still find ourselves leaving the work day with our phones on low battery because we\u2019ve left our charging cable at home or forgotten to take it out of our bag. Break the cycle: make sure you always have a spare charging cable or phone charger at your desk. You\u2019ll be amazed at how often people will ask to borrow it, so if you have two, even better.<\/p>\n

2.<\/b> A physical list of important phone numbers<\/b><\/p>\n

This feels like a relic from a previous era \u2013 after all, most of us don\u2019t know anyone\u2019s number anymore, having only to choose by contact name on our phones. While it\u2019s smart to store important work numbers in your phone, make sure you have a physical list handy as well; in situations where your Outlook isn\u2019t working or you\u2019re nowhere near your cell phone, you\u2019ll be glad you can still call the company security desk.<\/p>\n

3. Headphones, even if you don\u2019t listen to music.<\/b><\/p>\n

Having a pair of headphones at the ready could help you be more productive, even if you don\u2019t listen to music. Why? Having headphones in sends a signal to your coworkers that you are focused and not to be interrupted. If you need a way to ward off a chatty coworker, you\u2019ll find this is potentially the easiest solution.<\/p>\n

4. A real notebook.<\/b><\/p>\n

How you decide to organize yourself is entirely up to you. But even if every part of your life is digital, you\u2019ll always want to have a real notebook at your desk. Why? You never know when you\u2019re going to be called into an impromptu meeting or when one of your coworkers is going to drop by with a barrage of comments or requests. And while research has shown<\/a> that writing by hand helps you retain more information and be more productive, you can take photos of your notes at the end of each day so that you always have a digital copy with you.<\/p>\n

5. A snack that you *like* but don\u2019t *love*.<\/b><\/p>\n

That\u2019s right \u2013 we want you to keep little nibbles at your desk to keep you satiated, but if you stock your drawers with snacks you can\u2019t get enough of (i.e. honey roasted peanuts), you run the risk of eating them quickly and compulsively. Choose snacks that are healthy and that you like well enough, but that you won\u2019t overdose on.<\/p>\n

Related: What Not to Say During a Job Interview<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

6. Deodorant, dental floss and eye drops.<\/b><\/p>\n

Hygiene is important. Keep a mini grooming bag with deodorant, dental floss and eye drops at your desk. You want to spend your work day feeling productive and confident. These three items will get you there with minimal effort. But please \u2013 be a good work friend<\/a> and don\u2019t floss at your desk.<\/p>\n

7. A sweater or cardigan. <\/b><\/p>\n

Air conditioning has become quite controversial over the last few years as it\u2019s been revealed that offices generally set their temperatures based on the needs of men, not women. However you feel about it, the reality is that you\u2019re better safe than sorry \u2013 keep a long-sleeved sweater, cardigan or wrap at your desk for those days when all you want is a cozy blanket.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of us spend a good chunk of our waking lives at work. So it\u2019s no wonder that, as companies strive to attract and retain today\u2019s workers, offices are getting more comfortable and flexible. Indeed, while companies like Facebook and Google have raised the bar on convenience, offering everything from free meals to vending machines … Read full-story <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[69,168],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4230"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4230"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4238,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4230\/revisions\/4238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}