Desk Items You Need to Stay Happy and Healthy This Winter

Desk Items You Need to Stay Happy and Healthy This Winter Image via Isorepublic.com Warm tea Tea is the perfect winter drink. Hot tea will be so comforting after coming in from the snow, as it will help your insides warm up. At least for me, tea helps a lot! The great thing about tea is that there is a wide variety of teas. You can try different types of tea until you find one you like; you are bound to like at least one. If you’d prefer sweeter tea, you can sweeten your tea with some honey or sugar. For those who don’t like coffee, tea with caffeine (like chai or black tea) can also be a good “pick me up” when you’re tired in the morning. In addition to being delicious, certain teas have health benefits, too, like probiotics (good bacteria). Because of all these benefits, I suggest you have some tea at your desk this winter. Water In addition to tea, you should also have a water bottle (preferably a reusable one!) on your desk. Most people do not drink enough water each day, and being dehydrated in the winter is not good at all. If you don’t have water at your desk, it will be easy for you to forget to drink as you go about your day. Before you know it, it’s time to go back home, and you haven’t had any water! This is not good. But, having water easily accessible at your desk will make it easier for you to sip on it throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated, because when you can see the water bottle, you will be reminded to drink every so often. For that reason, I would encourage you to keep water at your desk. This applies not just during the winter, but year round, too. Healthy snacks Am I the only one who gets hungry throughout the day and needs just a little snack to tide me over until lunch or dinner? That’s why I like to keep healthy snacks near my desk to keep my stomach from growling as I wait for lunchtime. Specifically, I like to keep snacks like fruit, nuts, and granola bars. These snacks are easy to store, they are not awfully loud/crunchy when you eat them, and they are not awfully scented either (that’s why I do not bring oranges to work, even though I love them). Having easy access to healthy snacks will keep you from reaching for sugary snacks, like candy or cookies, which tend to be abundant in my workplace during the holiday season. Healthier snacks will also do a better job at keeping you full until your next meal. Eating sugary snacks will cause you to get hungry again sooner. That’s why you should keep healthy snacks at your desk all throughout the year, but definitely during the winter season. Infographic by Alyssa Laffitte Hand sanitizer and wipes Unfortunately, winter is the beginning of cold and flu season. The last thing you need during the winter is to get sick. But the good news is that you can prevent yourself from catching the flu or a cold if you keep your hands and your workstation clean. Prevention is your best defense. Keep hand sanitizer at your desk (or at least in your bag), and use it religiously, every time before you eat. Of course, it’s always better to actually wash your hands with soap and water if you have easy access to a sink. But sometimes you can’t access a sink, and hand sanitizer is significantly better than nothing. At your desk, you can also keep cleaning wipes that will kill bacteria and viruses like the flu and the common cold. Use these wipes to sanitize your workspace once you finish for the day. Taking measures such as sanitizing your hands and workspace will prevent you from getting sick during peak cold and flu season. You will thank yourself when you make it through the season without getting sick! A box of tissues Similarly, you should have a box of tissues by your desk during the winter. At least for me, I find that my nose gets especially runny when it’s cold, even if I’m not sick. So I really like keeping a box of tissues nearby my workspace. It will also be nice to have if one of your co-workers gets sick, since you can offer them a couple of your tissues. For bonus points, get yourself the expensive tissues with lotion, as they are much more comfortable on your nose. Even if you don’t get sick, having a box of tissues by your side is always a good idea. If you don’t need it, someone else might. It’s better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have it, especially in the winter. Cold medicine Continuing on the topic of staying healthy this winter, you should keep some cold medicine in a drawer at your desk. Again, this is something that’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have. You shouldn’t get sick if you are proactive about protecting yourself (as I mentioned earlier in this article), but if you do end up getting sick, you will be thankful to already have medicine on hand. You won’t have to run to the pharmacy, out in the cold when you already feel under the weather. Save yourself the trouble and a trip to the pharmacy by keeping a stock of cold medicine in the drawer during the winter months. Earmuff headphones When I was shopping for new winter gear on Amazon, I found this amazing invention: earmuff headphones! These headphones are a great way to keep your ears warm while still enjoying your music. These headphones are cheap, and they will provide you with warmth and the ability to still listen to music as you walk in the cold weather. I would definitely recommend a pair of these headphones! A clock (that you have already adjusted to reflect the new time) Daylight savings time ends in the winter, so it might be hard to keep track of the time, especially the first few weeks after the change happens. For that reason, I think it’s a good idea to keep a clock at your desk as you adjust to the new time. Once the change does happen, be sure to change your clock so that it reflects the correct time. At least for me, having a clock in an easily visible place helps me keep track of the time, and get used to the time change after daylight savings time ends. Of course, the same thing applies when daylight savings time starts again in the spring. A heated blanket This might seem excessive, but having a heated blanket at your desk is very comforting during the winter. It will feel just like a towel that is fresh out of the dryer. When it’s freezing outside, it is so nice to be able to wrap yourself in a warm blanket. You can get one at Amazon, Walmart, or Target for a low price. Just remember to have an extra set of batteries in case the ones in your blanket run out! A light sweater Of course, a sweater is a necessity for winter. However, I would recommend keeping a light sweater at your desk. Your workplace should be heated, so you won’t need to wear your heavier winter coat while you’re inside the building. Still, you might get a little bit chilly while you’re indoors. A light sweater would be the perfect solution to this problem. It’s not too warm like your winter jacket (save that for when you go outside!), but it will keep you from getting cold as you work inside. Plus, a light sweater should not take up so much space at your desk. Comfortable, warm shoes or socks If your workplace allows it, I would also recommend that you keep a pair of comfortable shoes by your desk during the winter. Comfortable shoes will make you feel cozy and warm during a cold winter or fall, rather than having to wear chunky snow boots in the office all day. Even wearing simple fuzzy socks underneath your shoes will make you feel a little bit better when it’s snowing outside. At least for me, a southern girl who’s currently living in the northeast, fuzzy socks and comfortable shoes make winter a little more bearable, as I get a short break from wearing thick socks and snow boots. For that reason, I suggest you bring a pair of comfortable shoes or socks to keep at your desk during the winter, if you are allowed to. Image via Isorepublic.com Desk lamp (preferably with extras) There are less daylight hours in the fall and winter, and it has been scientifically proven that it’s bad for your eyes to work in the dark. For that reason, I would recommend you buy a small desk lamp to give you some extra light during these cold months. The extra light will prevent eye strain. As a bonus, you can even get a desk lamp that has an electrical outlet, so you can plug in your computer and phone as you work, or one that has a place to keep your writing utensils. (I have one that has both: an outlet and a place to store my pens, and it is extremely convenient! I can easily organize my pens and pencils. Also, my short computer charger is not a problem, since I can plug it in directly into my desk lamp!) You can get a desk lamp with those features at a store like Target or Ikea for a good price. Having a desk lamp, especially one with extra features, will make your life much easier this winter when you have to work late into the night (when, during a Connecticut winter, means 6PM). Your eyes will appreciate the additional light! It can be hard to come into work when it’s cold outside. But there are certain things you can have at your desk that will make your life slightly easier. For example, hydrating yourself with water or warm tea will be good for you during the winter. Also, it would be a good idea to keep things that will prevent you from getting sick, since winter is peak cold and flu season. Keeping hand sanitizer, tissues, and cold medicine will be helpful to keep you from getting sick, and are nice to have in case you do. Additionally, you can keep comfortable clothes and shoes at your desk. You don’t want to wear clunky, ugly snow boots around the office all day. Keeping a pair of flats in one of your desk drawers will solve this problem. Of course, if your workplace allows, fuzzy socks are preferable. The same goes for jackets; your winter coat is too heavy to wear indoors. A light jacket will be great if there is a draft in the office. Accessories like earmuff headphones and heated blankets will make you even more comfortable in the office. A clock will help you keep track of the time once daylight savings time ends and it gets darker much earlier in the day. Finally, a desk lamp with extras will reduce the strain on your eyes as you continue to work after the sun has set. Having these small things at your desk will make it easier to be productive in the winter.