Is your copywriter's home office lacking in a few of the basic necessities? Does your WFH setup consist of a laptop and a cute slipper chair you snagged from HomeGoods for $79? Mine did too. Until I realized that my body wasn’t meant to contort in that way and perform repetitive motions without proper ergonomic support.
Please, please take it from me: you do not want to wait until your wrists start aching and your back starts hunching over permanently before you start furnishing your home office the right way.
Don’t be that crappy boss who doesn’t want to invest in a proper office chair for her employees. Here’s how to treat yourself properly and skip the torture of an under-furnished office.
Can Copywriters Work From Home?
Yes! Copywriters can work from home. It’s one of the big draws of the profession. A lot of us are introverts and we really like being able to create on our own schedule.
Problem is unless you’ve already got a fully furnished home office when you first set out to work as a copywriter from home…you’ll probably cobble together a few necessities and call it a day. That’s one of the other great things about copywriting — you can literally do it with just a laptop and an internet connection.
But I wouldn’t recommend that.
Why?
Because after several years of sitting at my Ikea desk that I couldn’t attach a keyboard tray to, and sitting in an ill-fitting chair that was literally back-breaking…my wrists were starting to really hurt and my scoliosis wasn’t digging the lack of support. Don’t be like me. Don’t get to that point.
Because guess what? Carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t some punchline in a joke. It can actually become quite serious and affect the use of your hands. Which in itself would be devastating. But as a writer, it would be doubly so. I’m not the type that can dictate my thoughts well. Verbal isn’t my preferred method of communication. So without my hands and the ability to type, I wouldn’t be a copywriter so much as an out-of-work copywriter.
The Ultimate Copywriter Home Office
Once I realized I couldn’t continue treating myself so poorly, I started researching what I needed to make me more efficient, more comfortable, and less likely to be a battered old woman in the future.
Here’s my list of must-haves that I actually use every single day:
Please note, some of these links are affiliate links. If you love these items as much as I do and decide to purchase, I might receive a small commission from Amazon.
1. A Computer + Internet Connection
This one’s pretty obvious, but thought I’d put them here at the top of the list, since you can’t do any copywriting work without these two things!
2. A Massive Monitor
I love my obnoxious and giant curved Samsung monitor. It feels like the ultimate gift to my aging eyes. I never have to hold it out at a distance to see it properly. The one I have is far from a top-of-the-line model, but it’s very similar to this one.
3. A Standing Desk
I also LOVE my standing desk. I didn’t buy an expensive one, but I’m glad I didn’t. This one from Amazon surprised the heck out of me — it moves up and down smoothly (to the point where I can have a coffee on my desk while it’s adjusting and I never worry about spills). It was easy to put together and holds everything I need. I honestly chose it because it was the cheapest option by far and it was definitely the right choice.
Standing has been a game-changer for me. My back feels better and I feel like less of a lumpy potato at the end of the day because I can easily do a lot of moving around while I’m writing.
4. A Split Ergonomic Keyboard
Truly ergonomic keyboards are hard to find, and from what I read online, the ones that are truly split in the middle are the way to go. I literally have mine almost six inches apart in the middle and WOW this helps my wrists feel positively normal. If you’ve been scrunching up on a laptop — it’s time to stop and get a real keyboard, friend.
5. An Ergonomic Mouse
This mouse might look weird but it’s a godsend for your wrist. It connects with Bluetooth (so you don’t have to worry about your MacBook having a distinct lack of USB ports)…and it makes a ginormous difference in the way you can click on those 716 tabs you have open researching your latest project.
6. Cute Mouse And Keyboard Pads
Since I have the mental age of an 8-year-old, I had to have these adorable owl-themed wrist rests. Mine also came with a little coaster which makes me smile every time I see it…but I can’t find that version at the moment. Big sad.
7. A Balance Stool
When my feet need a break for a second, I like to lower my desk and chill a bit on my balance stool. It wobbles around and gives my feet a break but I still feel active when I use it.
8. An Anti-Fatigue Mat
Not gonna lie, this mat is ugly AF. But, I slipped it under the decorative rug I already had in my office so I didn’t have to look at it, and I’m so glad I did. It gives me just the right amount of squish to help my feet feel better at the end of the day. I also have plantar fasciitis from running miles and miles in cheap shoes years ago, so I do have to be careful of the tootsies.
9. Birkenstocks
Up until about 6 years ago, I was one of those women that *only* wore heels. Which is so crazy to me because I *only* wear Birkenstocks now. In the winter, I wear my Zermatt slippers, and in the summer I designate a pair of sandals to wear inside at all times. Comfy shoes for the win!
10. A Visual Timer
My visual timer has become my BFF for time management. You know how you can start down a rabbit hole of research and look up like 3 hours later to realize that you’ve missed dinner? This visual timer helps with that SO much! I set it when I’m writing to help keep my internal hourly rate up and it has a subtle buzzer that goes off to remind me that my time is up. It’s way better than the Pomodoro method, too, because you can decide how long you want your interval to be. This little gadget I think is made for kids, but I cannot live without it now.
11. An Adorable Inexpensive Lamp
My standing desk created a dark spot in my office, and this lamp with this lightbulb brightened everything up perfectly in a super-stylish way. Honestly, I chose it because it was so inexpensive…but it doesn’t look or feel inexpensive! I absolutely love it.
13. A Cozy AF Space Heater
My office doesn’t have a heat vent in it, so I upgraded my space heater for a cute fireplace-y one. You can turn it on so it just lights up or turn on the heat and lights at the same time. I love having it beside me while I work and my dogs and cats like to take turns sitting on the floor in front of it which is just positively adorable.
14. Multiple Pet Beds
I have these memory foam pet beds stashed all over my office because, well, I have a few too many animals and they all like to come hang out with me at different points in the day. A few of them are seniors, and I really wanted them to have something with real memory foam support to chill on and be comfy while they keep me company. This was the most affordable option I could find…and they all love it (kitties and doggos alike).
15. A Squishy Chair Cover
Since I liked my standing desk so much, I decided to keep my cheap, crappy slipper chair as a backup stashed in the corner for an ‘in case of emergency’ kind of option. Since its’ seat has literally worn down to about a 1cm thickness, I chose a heavy-duty pad to put on it for those times when I just have to sit for a minute or two. This thing is a serious weight and should last for a very, very long time.
I hope this list has been helpful for you and that you’ve found at least one thing to make your copywriter's life easier or comfier.
While you’re here, why not check out my guide to writing kickass SEO articles that get ranked on Google so you can be a hero for your clients?