Working from home allows you to enjoy the comfort of working from anywhere in your house, but it’s important to ask yourself if the working area you’ve designed for yourself at home is ergonomic. By working at home, you are in fact more at risk for discomfort or muscular-skeletal problems than you would be by working at the office, because the equipment you use at home is likely less ergonomic than the equipment at the office.
Here are five things to avoid when working from home to ensure the most ergonomic working experience possible.
#1 Working in a common area
It may be tempting to work from your living room or your kitchen, where other members of your household are around. But this situation can risk disturbing your concentration and your productivity.
Instead, pick a working location that is calm and isolated. Separating your professional life from your personal life is the key to successfully working from home. This is especially true if you have kids and/or a partner at home.
Creating an isolated spot may require you to move some of your furniture around, so remember that you’ll also need a good amount of space for your work, for example to be able to use your computer effectively or to consult paper copies of documents.
#2 Working at a table that is too high
Kitchen tables and islands are often too high to allow for ergonomic working. Living room tables are usually too low and require you to fold yourself over to work on your computer. If possible, use a regular office desk. You can always use a plank and some stacks of books or boxes to create your own ‘desk’.
No matter what type of table you use, make sure that your monitor is placed at a height that allows you to see it without bending your neck or turning your head. You may need to elevate your monitor. If your screen isn’t adjustable, put it on a pile of sturdy books (cookbooks work well).
#3 Working while sitting on a couch or an armchair
Even if your favorite armchair or couch look appealing, avoid them because they are simply not ergonomic. For example, these options make it impossible to support your forearms or to avoid uncomfortable work for your shoulder muscles.
Instead, try to use an adaptable chair with adjustable height that can be made to fit the desk you’re working at. If you don’t have an adjustable chair, use cushions behind your back to support the natural curve of your spinal column when sitting, or a seat cushion to raise you if the table you’re working at is too high.
Finally, if your feet aren’t touching the ground when you’re working, put down a box or something flat and stable to support your feet.
#4 Using the keyboard and mouse of your laptop
Many people are working from laptops these days. Laptops are very practical for their portability, but they aren’t meant for long-term working. The keyboard and mouse are attached to each other, and you can’t adjust their relative distance or height to your comfort.
Therefore, as much as possible, try to use an external keyboard and mouse to allow you to set up the monitor in a way that is comfortable for you. This may be a second screen, or simply placing your laptop somewhere at a comfortable height for writing.
#5 Staying seated for your entire workday
When you’re in the office, you get up and move around frequently: going to meetings, getting a coffee, and so forth. When you work from home, opportunities to get up and move around are reduced.
With this in mind, be sure to get up and move around regularly. You can set a timer to ring every 45 minutes as a reminder, if needed. You can also stay standing or walk around a little during phone calls.
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