Reaching your home office ergonomics goals means much more than just ergonomic home office furniture. Things like mental clarity, relaxation, and physical health play a big part too. Hedge suggested that creating an ergonomic office was like fitting together the pieces of a puzzle. He said people commonly make the mistake of buying an expensive chair and calling it a day. I asked Hedge if I should consider a standing desk or a sit-stand desk (which can be raised and lowered), and he said while it doesn't hurt to have one, you have to use it properly.
- If you use more than one screen, ensure all the screens at placed side-by-side with each other in a way that there is no space between them.
- If you don’t have the option of an office chair, there are some household items you can use to help you adjust.
- Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).
- If you can swing it, a standing desk makes it easier to stay productive while breaking up long periods of sitting, but you can also work from your phone or tablet.
In an effort to stem the number of coronavirus infections, millions of Americans are now working from home, transforming kitchen tables and bedrooms into temporary home offices. Many are working under less-than-ideal ergonomic conditions—a kitchen chair that’s too low, a table that’s too high. Poor ergonomics can make or break your work-from-home experience. Using a laptop computer may lead to discomfort because of the low screen height and cramped keyboard and touchpad. If you use a laptop at your desk, consider getting an external keyboard and mouse, along with a laptop stand, to more closely mimic a desktop computer setup. Put your computer keyboard in front of you so your wrists and forearms are in line and your shoulders are relaxed.
Best Practices for Better Work-From-Home Ergonomics
This is meant to relieve stress and strain on your low back and neck. Place the computer monitor straight in front of you, directly behind your keyboard, about an arm's length away from your face. The monitor should be no closer to you than 20 inches (about 50 centimeters) and no further away than 40 inches https://remotemode.net/ (about 100 centimeters). The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor an additional 1 to 2 inches (about 2 to 5 centimeters) for more comfortable viewing. However, you must assess your current home office to see what changes need to be made.
A laptop-stand or monitor riser can assist with proper monitor alignment. Place the monitor between 20 to 40 inches away from the face and so the top of the screen ergonomic tips for working from home is at or below eye level. If you want to stand at your desk, or to switch between standing and sitting, a supportive mat will help you do so comfortably.
Lift your head and lower your arms
Of course, your desk may not be a desk at all; it may be a kitchen table, a kitchen counter, or even a repurposed shelf. Regardless, what matters most is maintaining good posture and ensuring you have enough room to work while maintaining your ergonomic setup. Following a few basic ergonomic tips can help you create a comfortable and safe home office that helps you get the job done without compromising your long-term health and productivity.
- Thanks to its portability, laptops are a popular computing option.
- Screens are too high or low; tiny laptop keyboards and trackpads offer cramped capabilities compared to their full-sized equivalents; posture is often, at best, an afterthought.
- But either a finger- or thumb-operated model is worth trying if you have nagging wrist or arm pain from using a traditional mouse or trackpad.
- Without a chair that supports the lower back (hard surfaces on kitchen or dining room chairs don’t typically provide ample back support), you stop getting sensory feedback and begin to slouch.
By being creative and using items around the house for exercise, you can be sure to keep your body moving and your mind sharp. Exercise may also help prevent repetitive strain injuries that may occur while spending countless hours at your home office work station. When you work from home, it’s easy to get caught up in a project and forget to rest, but breaks are incredibly important for your health.
What are some examples of ergonomic equipment?
If you use a couch as your seat, you may want to use pillows to help recreate the kind of support an office chair would provide. The divide in who gets the flexibility to work remotely also reflects the country’s racial inequalities. Because white and Asian workers are more likely to hold office jobs, they are more likely to have the opportunity to work remotely part or all of the time.
