Working at a desk job? It could be having a negative–even deadly–impact on your health. Discover some of the things you can do to counteract the ill-effects of working at a desk with these ergonomic tips.
Put These Ergonomic Tips to Work at Your Desk
Use a standing desk.
A standing desk like this one can help take the strain off of your back and counteract the negative effects of sitting. This can go beyond the ergonomic benefits and actually help prevent life-threatening health issues like heart disease and strokes.
Make sure your arms are supported.
Support your arms on armrests on your chair. This will prevent the weight of your arms from dragging down your back and shoulders and causing you to feel sore in your neck at the end of the day.
Put your monitor in the right spot.
Monitor position is very important. Your monitor should be about an arm’s length away from you. The top of the monitor should be at eye level. This will help prevent neck and eye strain as you look at the monitor all day.
Check in on your posture.
Set a reminder on your phone or computer to check in on your posture throughout the day. Avoid slouching as it will create a lot of problems in your back and neck. Once you start to pay more attention, good posture will become second nature.
Keep everything close at hand.
Avoid reaching or stretching to get your most-needed items throughout the day. Things like your phone, your office supplies, and your keyboard should all be kept as close to you as possible. If you can’t reach something, it’s safer to get up and move towards it instead of stretching and risking injury.
Wear a headset.
If you have a job that requires you to spend a lot of time on the phone, switch to using a headset. This prevents you from squeezing the phone between your ear and shoulder, a definite no-no when it comes to ergonomics.
Give your back some support.
Back complaints are common with office workers. Make sure you have a good office chair with proper lumbar support. The chair should allow plenty of customization so you get the right fit.
Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Keeping your feet flat on the floor is another way to ensure your back is getting the right support. Raise or lower your chair so your feet are flat on the ground. If needed, you can use a foot support to make sure your feet are making good contact with the ground.
Protect your screen from glare.
Make sure you keep the sun or overhead lights from making a glare on your screen. Glare can be bad for your eyes and the tension from squinting can cause headaches and pain in your neck and shoulders.
Take a break.
Even if your office space is the picture of perfect ergonomics, it’s important to take a break once in a while! Get up and stretch, take a quick walk, and focus your eyes on things that are far away from you in order to help them rest.
Have other ergonomic tips? Share them with us! We’d love to hear what you’re doing at work to make your office space better for your health.
