There are a lot of pros to Zoom meetings: You can wear pajama pants, you can mute yourself so no one hears your music in the background, and you can even turn your video off if you’re having a bad hair day. But there are also a lot of headaches. Whether your laptop video camera only works half the time or your microphone cuts out with every other word you say, the Zoom struggle is real.

To make your WFH life easier—or to help you get by in a socially distant office—we’ve curated a list of products that will make your Zoom experiences a little more enjoyable. Zooms may not always be as easy as in-person meetings, but at least you’ll be able to (momentarily) forget that you’re not sitting in the same room as all of your favorite coworkers.

1. Logitech C270 Webcam; $53

This budget-friendly webcam from Logitech is perfect for a simple camera that still gets the job done. The Logitech C270 is designed for high-definition video that, at 30 frames per second, has the ability to self-adjust to its lighting conditions, making nearly any room suitable for a Zoom call. The camera also has a noise-reducing mic that will allow your coworkers to hear you even if your background is on the noisy side (You: 1. Barking dog: 0).

Buy it: Amazon

2. Logitech Pro Webcam; $149

If you’re doing nothing but Zoom meetings these days, you might want to try the Logitech C920 Pro. The model offers a 78-degree field of view and a 1080p HD picture that will ensure your image is crystal clear and wide enough to allow your unruly cat to make an appearance without interrupting too much. The Logitech C920 also sports two mics—one on each side—and has a frame rate of 60fps, making it an ideal choice for live video.

Buy it: Amazon

3. Saicoo LED Desktop Lamp; $90

If you want to look your best during your Zoom calls—even if you’ve just rolled out of bed—you’re going to want some good lighting. This Saicco LED lamp has a touch-sensitive panel that allows you to easily control color temperature and brightness. It’s also built with a special light reflection feature to reduce eye fatigue. The Saicco lamp even has a built-in charging port, so you’ll be able to hop off your Zoom and onto a conference call without ever needing to check your phone battery.

Buy it: Amazon

4. Ubeesize Ring Light With Tripod Stand; $40

For a great light that doubles as a phone stand, you’ll want to try this combination tripod and ring light from UBeesize. This set comes with three different lighting rings—warm light, cool light, and day light—which can all snap directly onto the tripod. You can adjust each ring to 11 brightness levels, and the set even comes with a remote for your smartphone that can turn your camera on without awkwardly having to adjust it before a presentation.

Buy it: Amazon

5. Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Mic; $100

You’ll feel like an old-timey radio host (and not just like you’re running through your weekly update with your boss) with this digital condenser mic from Shure. The microphone has a custom-tuned microphone to provide high-quality sound, and it has both iOS and USB connectivity to make it easy to link to whatever device you’re using. There's also a Shure app that syncs with your microphone for easy recording, editing, and sharing afterward.

Buy it: Amazon

6. Logitech Noise-Canceling Headset; $50

A headset is a great solution for improving both sound and speaking quality, especially if you do more phone Zooms than video. This model from Logitech lets you easily adjust the volume or mute the microphone via its in-line audio control button, and it even has an LED indicator light so you’ll know whether you’re actually on mute during a meeting. These headphones are designed to cancel out any outside noises, but you can also easily adjust the microphone to muffle sound on your end, too (which makes it great for when you're snacking while chatting).

Buy it: Amazon

7. Ubeesize Phone Tripod; $14

UBeesize’s portable tripod will ensure your Zoom game is always on point no matter where you are. This tripod is built to last, with flexible legs that are reinforced with a rubber coating, sturdy foam, and nonstick feet. And it comes with a remote control for your phone that can be used up to 30 feet away

Buy it: Amazon

8. Comfilife Gel-Enhanced Seat Cushion; $33

Whether you’re working from home or commuting to the office part-time, many of us are sitting a lot more these days. To make your Zoom meeting feel more like a trip to the spa, a memory-foam seat cushion may be just what you need. This cushion is ergonomically designed to reduce pressure on your tailbone and improve your posture with each use. You can double up your back support with an additional lumbar support pillow, so you can sit up nice and tall for every meeting without discomfort.

Buy it: Amazon

9. Fictional Map Wall Art

For a Zoom backdrop that’s much cooler than a green screen, hang up a map from your favorite novel or video game for a look that’s both stylish and personal. Many of Redbubble’s maps are custom-cut or custom-made to ensure that they’re high quality, and some also come with tools or materials to help with framing. The independent artists over at Redbubble have maps inspired by The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Zelda, and more, so no matter what you’re into, you’ll be able to bring a little pizzazz everywhere you (virtually) go.

Buy it: Redbubble

10. Vintage Travel Posters; Various

If you’re more into real places, Redbubble has an incredible wealth of vintage-inspired travel posters to give you that air of prestige and culture you never knew you needed until now. With posters for locations like Cote D'Azur, the Adirondacks, Amsterdam, and Chicago, your new wall art will make you feel like you’ve spent the last few months on vacation (even if your longest journeys these days consist of walking from your desk to the kitchen and back again).

Buy it: Redbubble

11. TIJN Blue Light Glasses; $16

Looking alert during meetings is always key, but it’s especially important during Zooms. Give your eyes a break with these blue light glasses from TIJN. The frames can effectively block 100 percent of harmful UV rays and relieve eye fatigue, allowing you to get through any grueling conference calls without looking tired. The frames are super light and abrasion-resistant, too, and they’ll be comfortable and durable enough to last you for however long virtual meetings are the norm.

Buy it: Amazon

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Every fall, cries of “Burn him! Burn him!” rise from the crowd at one of the United States’s most unusual customs—but it’s not as macabre as it sounds. At the annual burning of Zozobra in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a 50-foot-tall marionette is stuffed with parking tickets, divorce papers, calendars, and notes, and set aflame, taking people’s worries with him as he goes up in smoke.

The cleansing ritual dates back to 1924, when Santa Fe artist Will Shuster and his cohorts, known as Los Cincos Pintores (“The Five Painters”), created a 6-foot-tall puppet and burned it at a backyard gathering with a few friends. According to Zozobra event chair Ray Sandoval, Shuster created the puppet as an act of rebellion against the Fiestas de Santa Fe, a hundreds-year-old festival that commemorates Don Diego de Vargas’s 1692 reoccupation of Santa Fe after the Spanish government and settlers were expelled during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The long-running community festival is religious in nature and tied to a specific culture, though it doesn’t formally exclude others from attending. “Zozobra was a protest against the lack of inclusivity in the fiestas,” Sandoval tells Mental Floss. “Shuster so fundamentally understood human nature that Zozobra draws everybody in. It’s not us burning a person. It’s not racist, religious, or political.”

The Holy Week celebrations of Mexico’s Yaqui Indians, who burn a firecracker-filled effigy of Judas, inspired Shuster’s own fiery creation. Shuster and his friends named their figure “Zozobra,” a.k.a. “Old Man Gloom,” which in Spanish means anguish, anxiety, or distress. “The idea behind the ritual is that we can pause our lives and look inward and ask, ‘What’s causing me gloom? What am I holding on to? And what am I doing to cause other people gloom?” Sandoval says. “We can put these inside Zozobra, cleanse ourselves, and start fresh.”

In 1926, the celebration went public. The Santa Fe New Mexican described that first public Zozobra as “a hideous effigy figure 20 feet high” that “stood in ghastly silence illuminated by weird green fires.” A band played a funeral march and the city attorney pronounced Zozobra guilty; the figure was shot several times with a revolver and set aflame. “The green fires changed to red, the surrounding ring of bonfires was ignited, red fires blazed at the foot of the figure and shortly a match was applied to its base and leaped into a column of many colored flames.” Finally, there was marching and dancing. The event, according to the newspaper, “brought out the biggest crowd of native merrymakers seen here for years.”

In 1964, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe became the official sponsor of the citywide event that now benefits local children’s charities. And in the ultimate turn of acceptance, Zozobra, which once protested Fiestas de Santa Fe, now unofficially kicks off that tradition.

According to the legend of Zozobra, the specter is reborn each year. He appears before the city hoping to invade the hearts of the spectators with fear. But the crowd calls forth the Fire Spirit, the embodiment of all that is good and Zozobra’s foe. Armed with torches, the Fire Spirit—a human fire dancer—battles and torments Zozobra. Ultimately, the spirit sets him ablaze. Amid dazzling fireworks and flames, Zozobra burns. However, he doesn’t go down easily. The spectacle continues as Zozobra groans and shakes his fists in anger.

Each year, the wood, wire, and cotton cloth creation looks slightly different. Part monster and part ghost, he usually dons a long white gown. He often dresses for his night in the spotlight in a bow tie and tuxedo shirt, and his look often takes cues from current events that are causing fear and anxiety. In 1943, for example, Zozobra was a mash-up of Axis leaders Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito named Hiroyhitlemous. To reflect the 2020 zeitgeist, the creators have fashioned silver and red hair that looks like a coronavirus and have given him gold murder hornet cuff links. “It’s been a banner year for Zozobra,” Sandoval says.

Typically, some 60,000 people would attend the ceremony to be freed from their woes, and it would only be on view to in-person attendees. However, 2020 calls for a novel approach. For the first time, organizers are inviting the public to submit their woes digitally for a fee (you can submit yours here). They will be printed out and stuffed in the marionette right up until the Labor Day weekend ceremony. Two weeks before the event, there were already 20,000 gloom submissions. The event will stream live on local news affiliate KOAT, so the public can tune in from anywhere to view the ceremony.