I feel like everyone needs to have a personal drawer at work. I know work is work, but we are humans who have bodies and need things during the day. Whether your drawer is more geared toward health and sanitation (like hand sanitizer and menstrual products) or toward a polished appearance (lint roller and lipstick) you should not feel like you can’t have basic personal items at work. Here are some of the things I have stashed.
Scarf
Most people might think I keep a scarf simply for when there’s cold weather. This is a good reason, but not the only one, or even the most relevant one. I HATE being cold, and the coldest time for me is DURING THE SUMMER!! That’s because the A/C is usually on full blast in whatever building I’m working in. Don’t get me wrong, I love having A/C–but I shouldn’t need to dress for winter weather to be comfortable at my desk in summer.
I started with just a simple scarf like this or this…
I advanced to a throw blanket but that looked like overkill…
But now I feel like I have the best of both worlds with an amazing wool shawl (this one is very similar) that was a gift. It’s super covering and warm, as well as being very professional.
Toothbrush
I throw the free toothbrush and toothpaste (sometimes floss too) that I get from the dentist in my drawer. Ironically, I use them most often because I have a dentist appointment in the middle of the work day. I would be mortified to have lunch still in my teeth when going in for a cleaning! (I stick the brush in a clear case to avoid it getting gross from dust and crumbs and whatnot.)
Clutch
So this is for two things. I HATE the absurdly small pockets on women’s pants. Whenever I’m wearing a nice outfit with small or no pockets, it’s a gamble on whether or not I’m going to need to go across campus that day. If I do need to, I’ll probably need to take a small assortment of items that I’ll have to carry in hand. Having a small clutch is something that helps me throw almost everything together and carry on my wrist. I think some people call these wristlets? The biggest thing for me is that I can stick it on my wrist and not have to think about it.
This is the one I bought and I love. It fits my phone, a pen, a couple of cards (business and credit cards), and I can put my staff ID in the front to easily access buildings. I actually use it every time I go abroad because it fits my phone, passport, boarding passes, currency and credit cards perfectly.
Some people like this smaller sized one, if they only need a couple of things like an ID, a credit card or money, and a key.
If you typically wear a lanyard rather than something on your wrist, you could attach this small ID wallet to it and it wouldn’t look terribly out of place.
Hand lotion & lip balm
If your hands and/or lips get really dry in the winter, you need a moisturizer on deck. I’m personally obsessed with scents, so I need a lush, typically floral-scents. Use whatever floats your boat, but shout out to Savannah Bee Company which has amazing products. (I strongly recommend the lip balm gift set so you can try a new scent each day of the week 😀)
Lint roller
I have two cats, so this is a no brainer. Even if you don’t have cats, you never know when a stray fuzz will show up on your chic all black ensemble.
Various first aid supplies
Did you know that aspirin can help during a heart attack? Keep whatever pain relievers you like, as well as some band aids, cough drops for dry air days, and a small pack of tissues.
Phone charger
When I say I learned the hard way to keep a spare phone charger at work, I don’t mean anything crazy happened. Rather, it just took me years to finally invest in buying a third charger. One for the house, one for the car, and a third for the office seemed unnecessary. But I really like having a fully charged phone rather than waiting to get into my car and charge it. I received one of these extra long cords for Christmas and love the length.
Deodorant
In the post Must have office supplies, I mentioned keeping an extra outfit in the office for those times you’re running around for a program and get drenched in sweat. It’s great to switch into dry clothes, but I’m sure you (and everyone else) will appreciate you freshening up with a swipe/spray of deodorant. Sweating and the accompanying odor is nothing to be ashamed of, but it makes me feel better being able to take care of it.
I hope some of these ideas make it to your personal drawer as well! This isn’t everything–I’ll post a second part later on. What’s in your personal drawer at work?