The objects you place on your desk can affect your productivity more than you think. After all, creating an environment that’s conducive to work can really help motivate you as you accomplish your tasks. This is true for anyone, whether you are working at the office or in your home.

This is why careful consideration should be taken in choosing the items that you need at your desk. They can provide inspiration, increase your comfort, or elevate your mood. While a good computer is an essential tool to get the job done, there are other things that can help you stay focused and allow you to work better. Here are some underrated office must-haves you need to consider.

Drink Coasters

Who isn’t guilty of bringing a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of water to their desk? Most people have a mug or a glass of their favorite beverage on their table to help them stay energized throughout the day. But what they don’t realize is the heat or condensation from the drinkware can damage their desk. At times, the liquid droplets can even ruin your notes or documents, especially if you’re not paying attention. To avoid such an unfortunate incident from happening, you need to get some coasters.

There are various coasters you can choose from. You can get silicone coasters that will keep your mug in place or durable leather ones that can absorb the heat from your coffee. You also have an option to have custom coasters made in your preferred color or design. You can have your initials or short words of encouragement printed on the coaster. If you order a lot of customized coasters, you can even give them to your colleagues as gifts.

Additional Lighting

Proper lighting is a must in any office setup. Ideally, you want to have access to natural light to balance the artificial indoor light. Aside from aesthetics, good lighting can also affect your mood, increase your energy, and improve your concentration. Therefore, you need good quality indoor lighting. If your current light source does not provide ample lighting, you can add a desk lamp to help you see your work clearly and to keep you alert.

Visually Interesting Objects

While productivity is one of the priorities when choosing the items to have on your desk, they should make you feel happy as well. This is why you need to add objects that appeal to your visual sense. You can add decorative items like artwork, photos of friends and family, and mementos. There are also a range of lighting ideas that can decorate, brighten, and liven the space up if you feel it is a bit dim. Or you could consider plants, a small potted plant or two can have positive effects on your well-being. They can help liven up your workspace by adding life and vibrancy to a boring and neutral-colored office. Indoor plants also help reduce stress and encourage you to move during your breaks by tending to them. Depending on the availability of natural light in your area, you can even get succulents or flowering plants.

Desk Organizers

A clutter-free desk is often associated with a clear mind and can help in improving your work productivity. When your documents, pens, and stacks of papers are in disarray, it creates an environment that doesn’t make it encouraging to work in. Go through the things on your desk and sort them based on their importance with the usual tasks that you usually perform. Place important documents in a filing cabinet and keep unnecessary things in drawers and shelves. For items that you need on hand like pens and sticky notes, you can place them in desk organizers. These organizers have multiple storage slots