Hey Everyone!
It seems like the new normal is working from home. Unfortunately, your home office
(or kitchen table ) is likely not going to be as ergonomically correct as your office
at work. Today’s post I’ll go over a few changes you can make to your home office to
help prevent common strains and sprains from sitting in a poorly designed
workspace.
- It is likely you cannot alter the height of your desk and it may be too tall or too short. That’s where your chair comes in. Adjust the height of your chair so that when resting your hands on your desk your elbows are at 90 degrees. Ideally your feet will be able to touch the floor. For those that are vertically challenged, using a stool under your feet or a few books stacked together will give you a proper footrest.
- If your chair doesn’t provide low back support than using a lumbar roll will
keep you in a neutral posture. You may not have a lumbar roll at home. If
that’s the case, rolling up a towel, a small pillow or a sweatshirt can work as well. I recommend the level of the bellybutton as to where to place the roll however find the spot that makes you feel most comfortable. - Lets avoid neck pain by adjusting your monitor. The top of your monitor should be at eye level. If you cannot adjust the height of your monitor, placing it on a few books or a box from your last amazon order works as well.
- You may be using a laptop. It will be difficult to raise the laptop to have the screen in a proper position while still being able to reach for your keyboard. If that’s the case, then I recommend the use of an external keyboard. Place the laptop on a riser so the top of the screen is at eye level and connect the external keyboard.
- It is now more common to use a double monitor. If you have a primary monitor, that is the one that should be directly in front of you. However, if you use both monitors regularly, you want to angle the monitors so they are between you.
- Place your phone on your non-writing side. This will prevent you cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder while you write notes. Ideally, I recommend using a headset especially if you are on the phone regularly throughout the day.
- Most importantly – Take regular breaks and MOVE. If possible get up from your desk every 30 minutes to an hour and go for a walk in your home.
Be healthy and stay safe!
