Eight hours a day, five days a week – we all know what it’s like to feel tied to our desk. Considering we often spend a lot of time at work, how we feel at our desk has a huge influence on our day. The build and setup of a workstation can make a real difference – better workflows and ergonomics can prevent physical and emotional issues.
Pause for a moment and focus on you– at your desk right now, think about your body. Any aches? Perhaps in the neck, shoulders, or wrists?Here are few small changes that can have a dramatic effect on productivity, mental health, and physical well-being.
Imagine how you sit in a car – knees level with hips, shoulders upright and your backside sticking out slightly. This is close to your body’s natural pose, forming your lumbar spine into a slight ‘S’.
Keep the monitor at eye level so you’re not craning your neck downwards.
(Hint – close your eyes, when you open them they should fall on the address bar in your browser.)
The top of your desk should be roughly leveled with your elbows so that you’re not hunching to reach up or down to the keyboard and mouse.
Reach out and touch your screen with your fingertips – any closer or further away and you run the risk of eyestrain.
Also, many computer monitors have settings that reduce blue light emissions. Look for monitors with a range of settings for different situations, so employees can set the brightness and light type for their own comfort. One thing to note here is the tendency to sit down at a desk and accept the computer’s settings as they are. Make sure everyone is aware of the options available, and encourage them to make changes to settings, positioning and format to suit their needs.
To summarize, a carefully designed workstation pays for itself many times over in productivity and efficiency, so ensure you put the time in during the planning stage to get the most from your investment.
Resources:
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