Working from home has probably become the new normal for a lot of us over the last few months. However, it is likely that you don’t have the same ergonomic set-up that you do at work. Spending many hours at a work station that is not well set-up can result in back and neck discomfort, eye strain, and headaches, as well as reducing your productivity and efficiency.
Here are a few tips and tricks to make your home office set-up as comfortable and efficient as possible:
Chair height: Hips should be slightly higher than knees and feet placed flat on the floor to reduce strain on the low back. A kitchen chair can work well in the absence of a traditional office chair. Add a small lumbar pillow or roll up a towel to place in the small of the back if needed. If you have armrests, make sure they are set low enough that your shoulders aren’t scrunching up.
Screen: The top of the screen should be at or just below eye level and about an arm’s length away from your eyes to reduce neck and eye strain. If you only have a laptop, we recommend placing some books underneath it or getting a laptop stand to lift the height of the screen.
Desk or table height: Forearms should rest comfortably on the table, or arm rests of chair about parallel to the floor.
Movement: Set at timer for activity and stretching breaks every 30-60 minutes. Get up and walk or stretch. One of my favorite stretches that helps reverse the effects of prolonged desk work is an arm opening. Lie on your side with your arms straight in front of your shoulders, as seen in the photo on the left below. Breathe out as you lift your uppermost arm towards the ceiling and then allow the upper body to rotate so that the chest is turning towards the ceiling. Allow the head to follow the movement of the arm. Hold this position for a few breaths in and out, then bring the arm back to the start position.
If you are experiencing discomfort that does not resolve with these adjustments to your posture and set-up, do not hesitate to contact us. We may need to include some more specific and personalized recommendations or exercises to best help you.
