10 ways to make your work from home desk less depressing

Despite what your current surroundings may suggest, your work from home desk doesn’t have to be depressing.

Since coronavirus social distancing orders went into effect, those lucky enough have been spending the majority of their days working at home. Not being able to commute into the office and see your co-workers in person is sad enough without a bland desk setup, so if you have to work from home you might as well spruce up your workspace a bit.

You don’t need a fancy home office to enjoy working from home. Whether you’ve turned your kitchen table into a workspace or cleaned off the actual desk in your room that’s been holding piles of clothes for the past few months, your setup has a ton of potential.

Your WFH desk has the power to lift your spirits during the day, so it’s worth putting some effort into. Here are 10 ways you can turn your home workspace from drab to fab.

1. Hang some decorative wall accessories

If your desk is already covered in notebooks, tech devices, and beverages, you might think there’s not a whole lot of room for decorating. But what about the walls surrounding your workspace? You can completely change your WFH desk vibe by hanging some decorative wall accessories like twinkle lights, vines, or posters of movies, TV shows, bands, artwork, places, and images that you love.

Prices: $14.00 at Urban Outfitters (vines) and $14.99 at Target (lights).

Miss strolling by the dog park on your daily commute? Desperately wish you could foster a dog during quarantine but you can’t because your landlord doesn’t allow pets? (Both “yes” for me.) The Desktop Dog Park is a cute way to fill the puppy-shaped hole in your heart. While it obviously won’t be as fun or rewarding as owning a real live dog, playing with five dogs and a red hydrant on a tiny felt lawn will offer a delightful distraction from work. You’ll also get a mini 32-page book by Conor Riordan that explores “the goings-on at the neighborhood dog hangout.”

Price: $6.49 at Target.

3. Grow a desktop garden

Is your desk lacking inspiration? An easy way to motivate yourself is by staring at new (plant) life every day, so why not make yourself a little desktop garden? Certain vegetables like scallions and lettuce are super easy to regrow at home. Just put them in water, line them up next to any little plants of flowers you already have in the house, and you’re good to go grow.

Working from home won’t always be easy or enjoyable, but you can release some of your frustration with the help of this adorable desktop punching bag. 

Price: $17.99 at Walmart.

5. Buy some new office supplies

Make sure your new workspace has enough notebooks, folders, colorful Post-it Notes, pen holders, and whatever other supplies you need. Stores like Staples will have some classic options, but places like Target, Michael’s, Ban.do, Paper Source, Etsy and more have some more unique supplies. (Bonus points for bright colors and motivational sayings.)

6. Brighten up your space

A nice way to brighten up your workspace is to quite literally introduce some light. Invest in some calming candles or a desktop lamp to illuminate your space at night and on rainy days when the home office seems a little more dull than usual.

Prices: $18.00 at Anthropologie (candle) and $29.99 at Target (lamp). 

Your WFH desk can get a little tired, especially if you’re spending the majority of your time at home, so it’s nice to switch up your scenery every once in a while. If you want to stand at your laptop, work from the floor, or type from your couch with ease, consider experimenting with a laptop stand.

There are a number of great standing desks out there if you’re willing to spend a little more money, but if you want a taste of the standing desk life at a lower cost, try out an adjustable laptop stand like the one above.

Price: $39.99 at B&H.

Sure, the description of these Liquid Motion Bubbler desktop toys says they’re for “children,” but anyone can use them to decorate their desks and stimulate their senses during the day. Buy a fun toy that makes your desk look nice and will allow you to take fidget breaks. Look up some of those magnetic metal ball sculptures, or consider pulling a Dwight K. Schrute from The Office and starting a bobble head collection.

Price: $9.99 at Walmart.

If you miss your friends, family members, and the nearly forgotten act of going out in public and having fun, turn to old photos for a reminder of better days. Frame some photos for your desk, hang some LED string lights with some clips attached, and if you want to drop some serious dollars now might be the perfect time to invest in one of those digital photo frames.

Price: $12.99 at Target.