This week we have some tips for how to get the most out of your home office.
When you were working in the office, working from the comfort of your own home probably sounded ideal. However, the reality is that people are finding themselves working from the sofa, kitchen table which can lead to back and neck issues further down the line.
We believe that a separate workspace is very beneficial for you when working from home, where we can set up a proper work environment. So, wherever you are working from, we have some tips for you to set up your work area to best help your body. The best option is to have a proper desk with an ergonomic chair; however, you can use these tips to adapt any set up you are in.
Adjusting Your Chair
- Sit deeply onto your chair, so your back is flat against the backrest
- If your chair does not have a lumbar support, then you can put a small pillow behind the small of your back
- There should be a few inches between the back of your knees and the edge of the chair (if you have an adjustable chair, there is often a lever where you can move the seat pad forward or back, to create this position)
- When you are sat at the desk, pull yourself in as close as possible
- Adjust the armrests so they support your forearms when your shoulders are in a relaxed position
- Your keyboard and mouse should be close enough so that you can maintain your arms on the arm rest and avoid over-reaching
- Adjust the height of the chair so the armrests are at the level with the top of your desk
- Your feet should touch the floor when the armrests are level with the desk (if they don’t then adjust the height of the desk or place a footrest under your desk to raise your feet)
Getting an ergonomic chair allows you to adjust the various supports to suits your body. If you don’t have access to an ergonomic chair, you can make similar adjustments by adding pillows or put your feet on a footstool to re-create the supports.
Adjust Your Screen
- Adjust the height of your screen so that the top of the screen is in-line with your eyebrows (if you work on a laptop, you can raise it up using a stack of books!)
- Your screen should be roughly arm’s length away from you
- When using a laptop, a way to make this better for your body is to get a separate keyboard and mouse so you don’t have to compromise on the screen height
Phone Calls
- If you spend a lot of time on the phone, using a handset can be tiring for the upper back, neck and shoulders
- Most headsets for mobile phones now have microphones included, so you may already have a headset you can use today
- Try wearing a headset to take the pressure off holding a phone for long periods of time
- It will also free up your other hand to be more productive with for taking notes
- Stand up while you are taking calls to avoid sitting down for excessive periods of time
Regular Breaks
- In the office, there are more opportunities to take micro-breaks than at home, such as making tea or talking to your colleagues
- Make sure you set reminders to take regular breaks to get up from your desk and move around
- If you are using Google Chrome, we recommend a free app called Posture Minder
- There is also the option to use an iWatch for this
- You will be able to sustain a higher level of work if you give yourself regular intervals throughout the day to de-stress
