Welcome to my always normal—working from home! Though this is the new norm for most people, this has been my life for the past 5 years. In this time, I’ve learned a lot to make the experience more optimal. Here are some of the items I cannot live without and some new things I have acquired along the way.

Stop tech neck before it starts

One of the bad practices I had during corporate life was slouching in my chair and curving my neck downward to see my computer. You would think in this day and age that offices would provide you with ergonomic solutions so you don’t have back problems later in life. I didn’t even realize how bad it had gotten until I started working from home. One of my friends came over and saw me hunched over my table typing into my computer and screamed, “You can’t sit like that—you are going to f*ck up your back.” She quickly took a bunch of my magazines and put them underneath my laptop so it was more in line with eye line. As years have passed, I have upgraded my methods and bought a laptop stand. After much trial and error, I found the perfect one. If you are in the market, I highly recommend this laptop stand. I chose it because it is adjustable, easy to transport (if you are working from somewhere other than home), and the color matches my laptop perfectly, for you other fashionistas out there :) ! It really has made such a difference in my posture, not to mention the lines that form on your neck from looking down all the time!

Pro-Tip: If you like to work from the couch or travel a lot, don’t forget the pillows! When I work from the couch, I make sure to put a long pillow in the small of my back to keep my posture in check and to also place a pillow on top of my legs so the stand doesn’t leave imprints on my legs. Bonus is that if you choose the right pillow, your laptop screen will be the perfect height for your line of vision. If you want to level up your pillow game, this baby will definitely do the trick.

Posture Perfect

A laptop stand is really not enough after all those years of bad behavior. For those of you looking to up your posture game, you cannot live without this kneeling chair from Drago. It is super comfy, adjustable and there is no way you can slouch if you wanted to—I tried! I discovered this glorious find two months ago and it really has done wonders for my back and posture—my muscles are less tense and the pain I used to have from sitting in front of my computer all day has significantly decreased. Full disclosure, it does take a little getting used to, especially if you are a sloucher like me, but the benefits are worth the few days of awkwardness. And if you are nervous about ruining your home aesthetic, because aesthetics do matter, it fits easily under a desk or table :)

Pro-Tip: And for days i want to super optimize my posture as I am bad at relaxing my shoulders, I use this posture corrector. I love it because it is lightweight and sometimes even keep it on underneath my sweater when I go outside to make sure I remain in the correct posture.

WORK FROM ANYWHERE

So my new-ish purchase that has elevated my WFH life is my mobile standing/sitting desk. The height adjusts so if I’m tired of sitting all day, I change the height so I can work or zoom standing up. The best part about this model that made it a gamechanger for me is that it has wheels, so you can easily move it around your apartment. I literally work from a different part of my apartment when the mood strikes me. On beautiful days, sometimes I even roll it out to my balcony. I even joked about rolling it to the park and working from there, but haven’t reached that level of cray cray just yet.

Pro-Tip: Sometimes I don’t feel like moving my kneeling chair around, so I just use the closest chair I have available and my yoga ball to keep my posture in line.

Talk to Me

One of the things I had to adjust to when I moved from Paris to NYC was living in a space with other people. When I first arrived, it was only for a quick visit so I was staying with my sister and it was only to be a few weeks, but ya know, covid. Having to do conference calls or any calls at all with an almost 2 year old baby around the house was quite challenging. Thankfully, companies like Amazon and Apple have solutions that are meeting friendly. If you want to splurge, I highly recommend the Airpods Pro from Apple. They are great, not only for work calls, but also for when you are on your peloton or even just meditating. The noise canceling tech is insane—I really didn’t think two little buds had so much power! Understandably, the cost may be a barrier for some folks, especially if you are not an apple junkie like me. I love this wireless bluetooth headset for a more cost friendly option. It has a noise canceling mike so even if the baby is screaming or the dog is barking, the person on the other end of the VC or conference call, hears your voice clearly. I have both and you really can’t go wrong with either.

Pro-Tip: If you do have children at home, just keep both of these devices out of reach if you don’t want them hidden or broken. True story.

Comfy Cozy

My personal style has evolved much during this pandemic. Even though I am going out more these days, I still tend to buy more loungewear and clothes that are easy to wear around the house. And since NYC is now a real life Gotham city, I continue this look into the streets of Manhattan unless I’m meeting a friend. My favorite loungewear is from Eberjey. They market themselves as lingerie/loungewear, but I guarantee you can wear it out. If you follow me already, you know my style skews on the more conservative side, so you won’t get weird looks if you take this look from the bedroom to the streets. They have their own site, but are also available in number of retailers, including my favorite boutique store, Gypset & Pearl. They are located in JAX, FL, but you can special order of their insta by sliding into their DMs.

Pro-Tip: No outfit is complete without shoes. These days, I trade out my concrete jungle stilettos for these comfy slippers. They are great for me for the summer and winter, as my feet are the first things that get cold. and these babies keep your toes warm!