I spend between six and ten hours at my desk on an average day (before slowly migrating to my bed with my laptop), so making sure it both looks pretty and is functional is very important to me. When it comes to working from home, alongside writing a dissertation – staying motivated is also at the top of my agenda – and something, if I’m completely honest, I find very difficult.
I’ve recently moved bedrooms (finally persuading my brother to swap with me) which means I’ve been able to move a lot of my furniture into one place (for the first time in my life) and get a bit more organised. Of course, top priority was sorting out my desk – which I meticulously moved around and re-assembled until I was completely happy with it. Since I spent a good couple of hours of my weekend doing this, I thought I’d put together a post on my blogger desk essentials – both to reassure myself that it was time well spent and to snap some hopefully Instagram-worthy workspace shots.
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Candles
I don’t know what it is about candles, but they put me at ease. I own hundreds, which have never been touched by a match (or come anywhere close) but take pride of place on my dressing table, bedside table and landing. They give a certain feel to a workspace – and also emit a gorgeous scent, which I personally find helps motivate me, in addition to keeping me focused.
A couple of my recent favourites include this NEOM Tranquility Candle, in English Lavender, Sweet Basil & Jasmine from Amara. It’s one of their larger versions (with three wicks) but I love how it looks visually – and it always makes the room smell incredible. The scent is very reminiscent of a spa – which is always a bonus, especially if you’re stressed – and it makes for such a lovely focal point. It has approximately 50 hours burn time, but I’m yet to jeopardise the perfectly white wicks. Soon, maybe…
Another regular favourite, which you may have seen me mention in other posts is my Cocolux Australia in Tropical Gardenia. Hosted in a gorgeous copper pot, I love how it sits on my desk (completely juxtaposing my other white candles) and regardless of how long you’ve left it out for – you can always smell it when you re-enter the room. The only way I can describe it is a mix of Hawaiian Tropic Oil, honey and roses – basically, something that wouldn’t be unfamiliar in a tropical beach destination. Smells often have the power of transporting you to different places – and a beach is definitely a welcome one!
And for the more affordable selection, I’ve also popped a couple of my most relaxing Yankee Candle’s for that something a little bit extra. I usually associate the brand with very sweet, almost novelty scents (don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love them and I’m always treating myself to new versions) so I was delighted when I came across these very gentle, serene options. Peony is probably a firm go-to, with clean, gorgeous, floral notes which subtly lingers in the air, however I also love their Moonlight and My Serenity versions, the latter of which is a cross between essential oils and honey.
WiT Lamp
I’m pretty sure that 90% of us bloggers don’t really think about the health and safety of our workspace. The nature of the job means that aesthetics is probably the most important consideration (even if it means sacrificing a chair that would be fabulous for our back – for one that looks pretty) and we rarely consider how what we’re doing everyday might affect us in the long run.
One main aspect for me is that the long hours sat at our laptop screens can be taxing on our eyes (we only get one pair after all) and I’ve previously been warned by opticians about making sure they are not too bright (or too harsh) and to take regular breaks. One thing I’ve found super helpful is my WiT lamp, which maintains the same brightness throughout the day and stretches across the full width of my screen – illuminating it from above rather than the harsh backlight. It’s actually an e-reading lamp, so it adjusts to the perfect light in a particular environment, ensuring what you have in front of you is easy to read and not going to damage your eyes. Weirdly, I used to get quite a lot of headaches after putting my laptop away, but with this on – I rarely suffer with them anymore.
Visually, the lamp looks super sleek and I like the way it fits with my desk and the feel of my room. When it comes to reading anything on paper, such as my wonderful dissertation notes (which currently resemble very frustrated squiggles which I’m having trouble making sense of), it’s also a godsend, because it completely eliminates glare and helps me switch from viewing paper to screen without feeling dizzy. With tonnes of other amazing techy features, this is definitely the lamp of the future – and something to consider purchasing if you make a habit of sitting at your desk or working from home.
Laptop
My laptop is probably the most important desk component, because without it – I don’t know where on earth I’d be. It’s sometimes scary to consider quite how much of my life revolves around this little thing and how much I’ve built from it. I used to have an old Toshiba, which did the job – however nothing has come close to my MacBook Pro. I’d definitely recommend it as a blogger investment, as it’s so super quick and easy in comparison to anything else I’ve tried.
I’m saving up for an iMac, because I think it will encourage me to sit at my desk more – even when I’m tempted to grab my laptop and head for the bed, before procrastinating – so if anyone has any recommendations with regards to this, do let me know! I know there’s a cheaper version for £800 and then models which run into the £1000’s, so I’m not really sure which to opt for (savings permitting). Technology is often overlooked as a given, but it’s such a vital part of a bloggers toolkit – and all rather costly!
What are your desk essentials? Do you have any recommendations?
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