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2020 might have been an appalling year in terms of restrictions on travel and movement, but one positive thing to emerge from the gloom is the way in which workforces have adapted, both within big business and at a regionalized level.

US residents have realized they can work remotely, they can carry out duties from a home office and develop a better work/life balance. Small Biz Genius suggests that remote working is now one of the most desirable benefits a business can offer a new employee, and as the world recognizes remote working can be productive and cost-effective, it will continue to thrive. Indeed, 4.3 million people in the US now work from home at least half of the time.

Working from home does present challenges and opportunities, in terms of time management, and home office setup costs. Whilst buying a desk, chair and other gadgets might seem to be a downside to working from home, it can be an opportunity to bring real change to your working patterns. 2020 was not only the year of restrictions but also the year in which the smart home rose to prominence. A smart home is often defined as being able to control services such as lighting and heating around your home with a touch of a button on an app, or even through a voice command, according to HomeServe post on smart homes.

In our article Smart Home Devices Are Energy Saviours of the Modern World we discussed how they can save you energy, and thus money, but what gadgets within a smart home can also do, is make your working from home project a whole lot easier. So with that in mind, here are three such gadgets that might be useful to you if you plan to work from home:

Smart Reusable Notebook

One aspect of the office that you may not have at home is wall space. Within your usual working environment, you may have whiteboards, packed with sales information, possible leads, or even your daily tasks. In your spare room which you have converted into an office, it is more likely you have a few pictures and some nice wallpaper. A smart reusable notebook allows you to take notes or make small drawings that are scanned into your smartphone as high-quality images. Those can then be saved onto a cloud, and referred to later and, once you are done with them, they can just be wiped away. There are many practical uses for the technology which could even see it become popular once workers return to offices en masse.

Productivity Monitor

A productivity monitor, such as the one released by Saent, can help manage your day without distractions, as well as prompt you to take planned breaks. Using a laptop can be distracting these days, with social media and news sites vying for your attention. A productivity monitor will launch a work session that blocks out such sites and distractions for a determined portion of time. You can also program it to prompt you to take breaks, helping add order and structure to your day. Of course, that is not all it does as smart tech, it monitors your day and can offer insights and advice on how to be more productive.

The Ember Mug

How often have you made a fresh cup of tea or coffee, only to find it cold after an unexpected meeting or call? Well, worry no more! The Ember Mug will keep your beverage warm and can be controlled via an app on your phone too. If you are working from home and someone turns up at your door unannounced, then you can still return to your desk for a warm and fresh drink. That is one working from home essential we think everyone will be on board with!