Ever since the pandemic hit, the popularity of remote working has increased now more than ever. Therefore, it is important for workers to create a healthy work-from-home environment to increase productivity and motivation. With a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can modify your workspace and set up an ergonomic home office in no time!
Even while you might be able to complete your work while staring at a distant computer screen, in dim light, or at a crowded workplace, none of these conditions are healthy for your body. You could experience various disorders and other health problems when you hold yourself in uncomfortable positions. Plus, if you already have an underlying condition, such as diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing more disorders if you work in an unhealthy environment.
Here's what you need to know about setting up an ergonomic workplace in your home, whether you're working from home as a result of the corona virus pandemic or remotely full-time. When working from home, it appears ideal to adopt an open-minded attitude, particularly with regard to your seating arrangements. After all, checking business emails while curled up in bed or on the couch sounds delightful, doesn't it?
However, if your WFH scenario is long-term, you could get into serious trouble if you don't acquire the proper setup. Of course, you can't immediately teleport to your workplace area at home. And you can't increase your productivity if you don't have the right office equipment.
Office ergonomics is a term you've probably heard very often since society began to distance itself from one another but aren't really clear what it means. The essence of ergonomics is matching a person's abilities to a job. A well-designed ergonomic workspace can reduce muscle fatigue, boost output, and lessen the frequency and severity of work-related musculoskeletal illnesses.
According to experts, in an ideal scenario, you would recreate your typical workplace arrangement at home. In fact, you can have a low budget, a small apartment, kids pestering you constantly, which can create a major distraction. Whatever the situation, you may still create a WFH setting that is ergonomic.
There's a good probability that you weren't fully prepared to shift your entire office and workspace to your home if you're working from home as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. It might be important to invest a few hours in thoroughly evaluating your workstation and setting up an ergonomic home office in order to keep you content and healthy.
Designing the ideal area for optimal efficiency can be made easier with a general understanding of home office ergonomics. Additionally, it can assist you in lowering your danger of suffering from any unwelcome body soreness or repetitive strain injuries.
If you work from home, you are in charge of setting up a workspace that enables you to perform your duties without the tools that your employer often supplies. You could be tempted to spend a lot of money on a fantastic ergonomic chair and call it a day, but there's much more to it than that. Although the topic of workspace ergonomics is vast, learning the fundamentals will help you create an environment where you can work comfortably and effectively.
Tips to Set up an Ergonomic Home Office
Get the Right Equipment
A suitable chair (a high quality ergonomic chair) that comes with various adjustable features is actually a great investment to start your ergonomic adventure. However, not every chair is made the same. Purchase an ergonomic chair to accommodate those extended periods of sittings. When choosing the right chair, you must keep an eye out for elbow support. Your neck and upper back muscles will have to work harder to maintain the weight of your arms without a place to rest your elbows.
Set Up Your Display
It's simple to stroll into your home, open the laptop on the dining room table, but this habit has us gazing down, straining our necks and leading to stiffness in the shoulders and neck. Instead, you should gaze at the screen with your eyes in the upper two thirds of the screen while maintaining a straight back and neck.
This can be fixed if you're using a desktop computer by using a computer stand or some heavy books. You could also invest in a dual monitor mount if you're using two separate screens simultaneously. Just keep in mind that using a separate mouse and keyboard will help you maintain a neutral wrist position while you're doing this.
Lighting Is Crucial
The term lighting ergonomics describes a person's relationship to a light source. An employee's productivity and general well-being may be impacted by this relationship. Improper lighting can lead to health and safety issues, resulting in poor employee performance. Optimizing the source and intensity of lights for various jobs in warehouses, distribution centers, or industrial facilities will increase worker productivity and wellbeing.
Office workers, however, require light yellow and slightly dimmer lights to concentrate and work productively throughout the day. Lights that are too bright or dim are too distracting and may cause headaches or eye strains.
If you've ever stayed up late at work and felt your eyes start to tire, it's probable that the inadequate illumination is forcing your eye muscles to work harder than usual. The optimal lighting for reading or using a computer is bright, natural light. Low light strains your eyes, which will quickly lead to eye fatigue.
You should give your eyes a break from staring at the screen for a few minutes once or twice each hour to prevent eye pain. This aids in their relaxation and lessens strain, which can cause headaches and injuries.
Low productivity among industrial workers can lead to greater production costs for companies due to poor lighting conditions. It may also compromise people's safety. For instance, a lot of employees must alternate between using a computer monitor and printed documentation. However, compared to a monitor, paper requires significantly brighter lighting. By using a task light, your employee may change the lighting as needed, focusing their desk lamps on their documents while using general illumination for their displays. This reduces eye strain because they always have the right amount and source of light.
Standing Desks
It's crucial to have an ergonomically designed workstation, such as a standing desk, if you plan to spend a lot of time sitting down, but it's also advised that you get up and walk about frequently throughout the day. Every half-hour, you should ideally take a movement break to let your body use various muscles and reset.
Prioritize Leg Room
Pick a work surface that has room for your feet, thighs, and knees. Avoid sitting in front of cabinets or drawers immediately. They may prevent you from sitting properly close to your computer. Use solid boards, bricks, or blocks to support the legs of your desk or table if you require a higher surface.
Head and Neck
Your head should be vertical to your neck to prevent injuries to your neck, shoulders, and back. This position puts the least pressure on the body. It's unfortunate that the screen will be far too low if you're using a laptop on a kitchen table. You're going to stretch your neck forward.
It's probably safe for brief periods of time. However, for a long-term configuration, think about using an external keyboard and mouse together with mounting your laptop on a laptop riser. If you have a monitor, raise it with books to a comfortable level for your eyes so that your neck and head remain in that neutral, stacking position.
Wrist and Hand Position
Like your head, your wrists and hands should be in a natural position. Lay your hand and arm smoothly on the table by leaning them forward. What you want is for the forearm, wrist, and hand to be nearly flush; whereas, a wrist hinge is something you do not want.
Be sure to make use of the devices you're using as much of the time as possible with your hands as a neutral posture. Therefore, modify your workspace as necessary. If at all possible, alter the height of the chair or table, and the distance between the keyboard and yourself. Keep your wrists and arms nice and straight. Avoid bending the arms across the midline of the body or out to the sides.
Computer Placement
The best option is to employ a desktop computer. You are compelled to gaze down at the screen while working on laptops and tablets since they do not allow you to detach the keyboard from the monitor on their own. This position may cause your neck to experience undue strain while working.
If you have to use a laptop, you might think about getting a second keyboard or display to connect to it. This will provide you more versatility by enabling you to disconnect your keyboard from your monitor. Your forearms should be squarely placed in front of you and your elbows should be bent slightly while working at the computer. Your arms and wrists should be in line with your computer keyboard, which should be placed immediately in front of you.
Final Thoughts
Ergonomic lighting is frequently overlooked in the workplace, but other ergonomic concerns including awkward postures and repetitive motions have garnered prominence in industrial situations.
Physiological and psychological aspects that determine work productivity are impacted by ergonomic lighting. People should have the right visual circumstances provided by lighting design to increase task efficiency.
To perform their jobs effectively, the employees must have good vision. The object should receive just the right amount of reflected light to be properly lighted. Workers should feel comfortable and appreciate the lighting. Insufficient lighting can cause visual discomfort, physical and mental exhaustion, and poor performance and efficiency.
