How you can set up an Ergonomic Home Office

Working from home is the new normal for many, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you’re temporarily working from home, or you’ve transitioned to a more permanent remote working environment, it’s important to ensure your home office is set up to be as comfortable as it can be. You wouldn’t get behind the wheel of your car without making the necessary adjustments to ensure a safe trip. You shouldn’t have to tolerate an uncomfortable and unhealthy work environment either.

Setting up a work environment that promotes comfort decreases your chance for injury and increases your productivity. To do this, ask yourself questions related to your needs.  Do you have a laptop or desktop?  How many monitors will you need? Do you need peripherals such as a microphone or mouse?

Another important question to ask yourself is what type of work do you do with the equipment you need? Alan Hedge, professor emeritus at Cornell University in the department of design and environmental analysis says “The posture of the person sitting down really depends on what they’re doing with their hands.”

Before you make any changes, analyze how the majority of your time will be spent.  If there is a task you spend the bulk of your time doing, such as typing or drawing with a stylus, customize your setup to be comfortable for you while doing that task.  If you’re job requires you to read a lot of physical paper, you might consider a desk lamp.  Perhaps wrist rests for your keyboard or mouse might be of significant importance if you’re using those devices often.

With all of this said, there are 4 areas you should focus on when constructing an ergonomic office.

Head and Neck

To avoid injury to your neck, shoulders and back, your head should be vertical to your neck because this position creates the least amount of strain.

“Unfortunately, if you’re working with a laptop computer on a kitchen table, that screen is going to be way too low. You’re going to forward-flex your neck,” Hedge said.

To avoid posture issues, consider a laptop riser and use an external keyboard and mouse. For desktop computers with monitors, use a monitor stand to raise your screen to a comfortable level that keeps your neck in a neutral stacked position.

Hands and Wrists

Hands and wrists should also be placed in a neutral position. To ensure you’re placing them correctly, extend your arm and hand forward and lay them flat on your surface. The hand, wrist and forearm are flush, which is what you’re trying to achieve. Avoid hinging at the wrists.

Hedge says, “Make sure any input devices you’re using, you can use with your hands in what we call a neutral posture for as much of the time as possible.”

To ensure the proper placement of your hands and wrists, it will call for some adjusting. If possible, raise or lower your desk to a comfortable height, and move your keyboard and mouse either closer or farther from you. There are plenty of ergonomic mice, keyboards and adjustable or sit/stand desk options that can help you achieve a desirable work posture.

Seated Posture and Back Support

“There’s a myth out there that you should sit at 90 degrees,” Alan Hedge says. “Most of us [ergonomic experts] have spent a lifetime trying to tell people that’s not how you should sit.”

Instead what is suggested is that you find a posture that allows you to see the screen while sitting in a way that provides support to your lower back. This position is usually similar to sitting in the driver’s seat of a car – where you’re slightly leaning back.

To help with posture, you can purchase an orthopedic chair or chair cushions that can offer lumbar support. These products tilt the pelvis to promote a more ergonomic position.  A footrest may also help achieve the optimal posture.

Behavior

The final factor in creating a comfortable office environment is to focus on your behavior. Hedge suggests taking frequent, short breaks.

“From the research we’ve done, the ideal routine is about every 20 minutes, take a short break where you stand up, stretch out a little bit maybe for a minute or two. Or even better, walk and make a cup of tea or coffee,” Hedge suggests. The movement improves circulation, comfort and performance, as well as decreases your risk of injury.

"If you don't do all four [of the recommended customizations], you'll never get the best results. If what you do is adjust the computer screen to a good height, but you never adjust how you're sitting or you never adjust your keyboard or your mouse, you'll never get the optimal results," he said. "The combined effect of everything to put you into a neutral posture and to keep you moving throughout the day is much greater than the effect of any one individual change."

Are you in need of ergonomic equipment for your home or office?  Click here to visit SpaceBound Solutions’ Work From Home Solutions page to browse products that can help you set up a comfortable workspace.

Story via PC Magazine