It is a lot of fun to set up your workspace, and you get to choose new furniture and furnishings, as well as maybe new technology. When it comes to setting up an office space, though, there are numerous factors to consider.
Because most workers spend so much time in their offices, ergonomic design becomes an essential aspect of a productive work environment.
It is critical to set up your workspace in a way that is healthy for your body. However, because the term "ergonomic" is used so casually, it is difficult to know precisely what an ergonomic desk layout entails.
Start with these ergonomic office principles if you need assistance with your ergonomic office setup at home or work.
Steps to Set Up an Ergonomic Office
1. Decide On a Location for Your Office
Millions of people have been compelled to work from home due to the pandemic. If you are one of these people, you might want to consider setting up a home office. Choose a location for your ergonomic home office if you have not already.
This could be a bare room or a spare bedroom that could be turned into an office. To allow you to work quickly and productively, the ergonomic office setting you choose must be free of clutter and noise.
2. What Kind of Equipment Do You Require?
You must first assess your equipment requirements before setting up your ergonomic desk. Start by thinking about what you do for a living.
If you are a programmer, a three-monitor desk arrangement or other tech gadgets may be required, but if you're a bookkeeper, a laptop or single monitor may be enough.
Furthermore, what you do with your hands has a significant impact on your posture. Consider how you spend the majority of your workday before making any changes. Do you type for extended periods? Do you work primarily with a stylus as a visual artist?
If you are going to be doing something for a long time, customize your setup to be comfortable and safe for you. If you spend a lot of time reading hardcopy, for example, a lamp on your workstation may be necessary.
You can start choosing ergonomic furniture once you know what equipment your ergonomic office setup requires.
3. Select a Workstation
You can choose a desk now that you know what workplace equipment you require. A standing desk is the most important choice for an ergonomic desk since it allows you to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day.
The desk you choose should be big enough to hold all of your workplace supplies and equipment, and it should also be functional enough to fit into the space without obstructing it.
Consider an L-shaped standing desk if you need an additional workspace for an ergonomic office setup with numerous monitors and equipment. The L-Shaped Standing Desk E1L is available from FlexiSpot.
The Advantages of Using a Standing Desk
If you have never heard of a standing desk, it's just a workstation that can be raised and lowered to allow you to work with your arms at right angles. It also helps keep your monitor at eye level, reducing pressure on your eyes and neck muscles.
Did you realize, however, that standing desks provide a slew of health advantages? Here are some of the benefits of using a standing desk with a sit-stand strategy in your ergonomic workplace setting:
- Loss of weight. Sitting for long periods can cause you to consume more calories than you burn, which causes you to acquire weight. Altering between sitting and standing while working will keep you active, engage your core muscles, and help you burn calories.
- Lower blood sugar levels. Sedentary behavior, especially after a meal, might raise blood sugar levels. Your blood sugar levels are managed when you alternate between sitting and standing.
- Increased productivity. Standing increases blood flow throughout the body, and increased blood flow to the brain means a more remarkable ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
- Reduced risk of heart disease. Because sitting for long periods needs little energy, your body may opt to store it as fat rather than burn it. Heart disease is linked to increased fat storage.
- Boost your mood in general. Long periods of sitting have been related to higher levels of anxiety and sadness. Standing for long periods, on the other hand, can improve your mood.
4. Select an Ergonomic Chair
Like you would change your automobile seat to fit your physique, you'll need to adjust your ergonomic office arrangement in the same way. In reality, excellent ergonomic office posture is similar to driving a car. Your feet are flat on the ground, but your legs are stretched out, and your body is tilted backward.
While significant care is given while modifying the features of your car for maximum support and comfort, even more, excellent care should be used when selecting office furniture.
This is because most people spend more time sitting in their office than driving. FlexiSpot offers the Soutien Ergonomic Office Chair that is perfect and recommendable for a busy professional like you.
5. Consider Office Lighting
Working is made easier with proper illumination in an ergonomic workplace arrangement.
Visual perception accounts for about 85 percent of the data received by the brain. Headaches and visible tiredness can be reduced by good lighting that is free of glare and shadows.
It may also aid in the prevention of workplace accidents by increasing the visibility of objects and other potential hazards.
The chance of injuries and occurrences caused by transitory blindness, which occurs as the eyes shift from brighter to darker, or vice versa, is reduced with proper illumination.
6. Add Finishing Touches
Desk accessories that assist in keeping your workspace clutter-free, let you work more productively, and maintain an active lifestyle are all part of an ergonomic desk arrangement.
7. Set up your Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse in the Proper Positions
It is not enough to have an ergonomic workstation and office chair to avoid injury to your body. You should also set the components of your computer correctly to avoid straining your muscles and joints.
Monitor
In a perfect world, the computer monitor would be directly in front of you. The center of your display should be aligned with your line of sight or eye level.
If the screen is too low, you may need to tilt your head down. You must list your head upward if the screen is set too high.
You may strain your neck muscles while rotating to one side of the screen is positioned to one side. All of these uncomfortable positions cause muscle strain, resulting in discomfort and injury.
If positioning your monitor at eye level is difficult, you may need to invest in a monitor arm or a monitor that allows you to tilt the screen back and forth for your ergonomic home office.
Mouse and Keyboard
Make your mouse accessible by placing it on the same surface as your keyboard. Keep your wrists straight, upper arms close to your body, and hands at elbow level when using the keyboard or mouse.
Use keyboard shortcuts to cut down on the amount of time you spend using the mouse. If feasible, adjust the mouse's responsiveness so that you can apply less pressure to control it. You can change the hand you use to control the mouse at your ergonomic workplace by moving it to the opposite side of the keyboard.
Last Thoughts
Setting up an ergonomic working environment may appear to be a challenging endeavor. However, by following these essential procedures and desk arrangement ideas, you can quickly have your office space set up and operating for you or your employees.
FlexiSpot offers a variety of products aimed at keeping employees healthy, happy, productive, and focused. Shop the FlexiSpot’s online store for various solutions to make setting up an ergonomic office stress-free and straightforward.
