Spending a day at home sick in bed sucks. But it’s nowhere near as bad as when you’re so busy you can’t afford to just sleep away what ails you.
So if you feel a sore throat or hacking cough sneaking up on you, here’s everything you’ll need to at least stay productive while you’re stuck spending the day between the sheets.
NoteMe Post-It Note Pillows
If you’re going to be stuck at home all day, the least you can do is make yourself as comfortable as possible. And what’s more comforting than being surrounded by a mountain of pillows?
But these NoteMe cushions aren’t just for comfort. Oh no. They’re made from a special fabric that you can write on with markers and then erase with a splash of water. So they double as oversized sticky notes you can also take a nap on. $US32. [imgclear]
Planon Printstik
When you’re sick, simply getting out of bed to fetch a printout from your home office feels like making an ascent on Mt Everest. But curling up with your multifunction printer/scanner in bed is awkward at best.
So Printstik’s portable printer is the perfect alternative. It’s actually designed for road warriors who need to run off hard copies while on-the-go, but its minuscule design makes it ideal for perching on a crowded bedside table that probably already overfloweth with meds. $US300. [imgclear]
LapDawg Laptop Support
Today’s quiet laptops manage to avoid excessively loud fans with passive cooling techniques that can leave them hotter than a reactor’s core. In other words, the less amount of time they can spend on your lap, the better.
Enter the LapDawg portable desk, which features a set of articulating legs so you can safely work away in bed no matter what position you end up in. If it only included a portable filing cabinet you’d never have to return to a real office again. $US89. [imgclear]
Compact Bedside Shredder
You might not think that working from home would produce a mountain of paperwork that needs to be disposed of, but you’re forgetting about the boxes and boxes of tissues you’re churning through.
They’re going to fill your wastebasket in no time, so we suggest first passing them through this compact shredder which can easily slip between your bed and side table. While small, it’s still strong enough to chew through staples and small paperclips, so whatever your over-active sinuses have produced shouldn’t be a problem at all. $US50. [imgclear]
Multi-function Back Rest
If working in bed had any kind of ergonomic merit, Herman Miller would have an entire line of office-friendly beds. But propping yourself up on a mattress to work is sure to wreak havoc on your spine, to the point where this back rest actually doesn’t seem like a ridiculous idea.
Not only will it provide more back support than a stack of pillows, but it also includes a place to store files, a cup holder for your coffee, and even a task lamp. And in the event your back does get a little sore, it’s even got a built-in massager to knead you back into comfort. $US100. [imgclear]
Miniature Water Cooler
It’s not like you’ll be completely out of touch with the office during your exile, but staying on top of gossip and juicy rumours is always made more enjoyable when it’s done discreetly around the water cooler.
So while this miniature version will keep you plenty hydrated with a tank that holds eight cups of water, that’s not the real point of keeping it by your bed. Think of it more as a psychological support. A connection back to your co-workers while you stay on top of the truly important things happening in the office during your absence. $US20.
Image: Patrick Hermans/Shutterstock