4 Ways Wirecutter Staffers Spark Joy While Working From Home

I’ve been a remote employee for the past four years. But even that hasn’t fully prepared me to be almost completely housebound for the past week—and the foreseeable future—as I try to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 infection. I’m starting to miss simple luxuries like walking to my local coffee shop for a lavender latte, taking yoga classes, and grabbing an after-work beer. To combat this, I consulted the Wirecutter staff—some of whom have been working from home since I was in grade school, and are far more adept at it. Here are some things we think can make working from home (during a pandemic, to boot) suck less.

Develop a beverage ritual

You can avoid coffee shops while still keeping some of the special touches a barista provides. For example, I’ve started heating up milk in a pan, to make it frothy, and made a lavender simple syrup to add to my homemade lattes.

Kitchen staff writer Anna Perling recommends getting a tea strainer and some loose-leaf Harney & Sons tea, so you can have a quiet moment to yourself while waiting for it to steep.

“Our tea kettle pick is the GOAT,” adds editor Tim Barribeau, meaning it’s the greatest of all time. I can personally attest to this, having used the Cuisinart PerfecTemp to make tea several times a day for years.

“I like having a pour-over coffee setup as a coffee-break ritual that requires a bit of focus, such that you can clear your mind of work for a few minutes,” says Michael Hession, head of photo and video. “It’s a nice mental break that happens to result in great coffee.”

In addition to “cuddles with my bratty dog,” photo editor Rozette Rago likes to recharge with homemade espresso. “It sounds indulgent,” she says, “but I always look forward to my morning latte, and having a Nespresso machine lets me make my own at home.”

Even if you prefer the ease of a basic drip coffee maker, it’s not necessarily a downgrade. “Our coffee maker pick is a lifesaver,” says senior staff writer Chris Heinonen. “It keeps it hot for a long time!”

And if you like fizzy drinks, says community lead Erin Price, “Get a SodaStream! Limitless bubbly water.”

Surround yourself with snacks

When you’re working from home, it’s easy to forget to eat. Keeping some quick, energy-packed snacks on hand is a good way to avoid ordering McDelivery at 3 p.m. (something I have definitely never done and do not condone). Just make sure to portion out those snacks—pour yourself a bowl of trail mix, say, rather than keeping the entire bag within arm’s reach—so you don’t accidentally eat more than you’d like to.

Senior staff writer Nick Guy keeps a big container of Wegmans peanut-butter-filled pretzel nuggets in his pantry at all times. Similarly, staff writer Signe Brewster stockpiles Pirate’s Booty, as well as pickles, olives, and cheese curds (like any good Sconnie would).

Costco die-hard Barribeau loves buying chicharrones in bulk for some extra protein, while editor Ben Keough favors the chain’s bulgogi jerky. In case you’re not a Costco member, Barribeau also recommends biltong, dry-roasted edamame, and seaweed snacks, the latter of which, he says, have “essentially no calories and are so, so, so good.”

To satisfy a sweet tooth, says Barribeau, look for “those enormous bags of dark Dove individual chocolates. They’re the best grocery store chocolate IMHO, and individually wrapped means I’m marginally less tempted to eat a huge amount.”

Senior staff writer Joel Santo Domingo, whose wife is gluten-intolerant, recommends Gerbs for getting allergy-free snacks. He says it’s one of the few places that reliably stocks the tropical dried fruit mix he fell in love with during a trip to Hawaii.

Also, production manager Lucy Butcher pulled through with my favorite healthy snacking tip: Nuts Dot Com. “Nuts.com has well-priced bulk health food that’s usually in stock and ships at a fast turnaround,” she says.

Gear up to stay focused

Working from home can be distracting in the best of times, so when that’s coupled with a pandemic, it’s no surprise we’ve all been having trouble focusing on our jobs lately. I’ve found that working from a lap desk helps me stay on task, since I can move from room to room without disrupting my workflow.

Lead engineer Justin Yost recommends using an alarm clock, a kitchen timer, an app, or your phone’s timer to help keep you focused using the Pomodoro Technique.

If you have a white noise machine, it can help with productivity by softly drowning out superfluous sounds, says software engineer Jessica Bell. Or, if you don’t want to invest in a designated gadget, apps like Noisli stream nature sounds and other calming background noises.

Senior staff writer Lauren Dragan likes the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds (our top pick for wireless earbuds) for working from home because they have a great noise-reducing microphone for video calls, as well as a white-noise option through the Jabra Sound+ app. If you prefer over-ear headphones, the Jabra Elite 85h pair also has both of these features. Another pair of headphones that’s good for remote work, and generally a lot cheaper than those options, is the Jabra Move Style Edition, Dragan says. Even if you don’t want to use Jabra’s app, you can stream background music from its website in a browser.

If your family members don’t mind, or if you live alone, a wireless speaker is another way to easily stream music from your phone or laptop to create a calm, sonic ambience. Unsurprisingly, Smart Home editor Jon Chase prefers to use smart speakers: “I have three in my office, and cycle through them periodically. Being able to quickly pause and play, set timers and reminders, and switch between audio sources (without having to fiddle with iTunes or my phone) is ideal.”

Senior staff writer Tim Heffernan—who has regaled me with tales of calf midwifery and made his own sourdough starter from a tree in his neighborhood in Queens, New York—is my go-to person for advice on literally any subject. He says, “I really, really recommend listening to live radio instead of streaming services. If I didn’t hear human voices periodically throughout the day (i.e. the DJ) when I was a freelance writer for four years, I think it would genuinely have been psychologically damaging. I know this sounds weird, but give it a try, and see if it doesn’t make you feel a bit more human!”

Step away from your desk

Being hyperfocused can be just as bad as being distracted. Even if you take breaks to go to the bathroom and refill your coffee mug, the day can easily pass you by. As you’ve probably heard, sitting at a desk and staring at a screen for hours at a time is harmful for your neck, back, and eyes. So having some at-home gym equipment can lower the barrier to getting your body moving during the day.

“I have our adjustable dumbbells pick in my room, and I’m very happy to have them for when I’m stuck in here and need to pick something up and put it down out of frustration or boredom,” says staff writer Justin Krajeski.

For a more low-key home workout, says staff writer Ingrid Skjong, “A yoga mat is always nice to have on hand to roll out for a few minutes of stretching, yoga, or whatever moves you.” Editor Marilyn Ong loves using a foam roller for similar reasons: “Good for taking breaks and rolling out any sore/tense spots.”

Finally, don’t forget that social distancing does not preclude you from going outside. Go for a walk, ride your bike, or just sit on your front stoop with a cup of tea. In these uncertain times, taking time to unwind and relax is one of the most important things you can do—other than washing your hands and avoiding close contact with others—to take care of yourself.