The pandemic has taught us that effectively working from home requires more than just a dining chair pulled away from your table and placed in front of a screen. In fact, setting up a comfortable home office is the first step you will take towards ensuring your productivity and minimising your risk of injury.
In this article, we discuss some of the best tips and tricks for creating an ergonomic home office for all kinds of spaces:
Small, shared spaces
Live in a shared house with a roommate or have limited space? You don’t have to kick someone out just to turn their room into your home office! Instead, find a dedicated wall or corner in any spot in the house that offers you the most peace and quiet. If at all possible, avoid working from your bedroom, but especially from your bed. Studies show that keeping your workspace away from the spot where you sleep can help you sleep better, which in turn makes you fresher and more productive the next day.
For limited spaces, you will have to find ways to be creative with the available area. For example, if you have an empty closet with various odds and ends stuffed into it, consider taking some time out and sorting through the mess. Throw out or donate anything you haven’t used in two years. Once you’re done, you should have some space to convert into a cubicle. Add a shelf at the right height to put a desktop or laptop on, some lighting for visibility and remove the doors (or close them when you’re done working) and place an ergonomic chair to protect your back and you have yourself a designated working space just for you!
Setting Up An Ergonomic Home Office
When setting up your home office, some of the most important considerations to think about include your choice of chair, the desk you’re using, keyboards and other hardware as well as the lighting of the place you’re working in. Let’s take a look at each of these one by one.
One of the most important pieces of office furniture you will purchase (and one you should absolutely splurge on) is your office chair. The right office chair will target your lower back and provide adequate neck and lumbar support and follows the natural curve of your back to prevent long-lasting issues down the road. You should also be able to adjust its height and seat depth so that your feet rest flat on the floor with thighs horizontal and your back against the backrest of the chair, leaving at least 2 to 4 inches between the back of your knees and the chair. If you’re on the shorter side, invest in an ergonomic footrest to allow for this contact of your feet with a solid surface. It’s even better if your chair has adjustable armrests to allow for more comfort when typing for long hours.
If you spend several hours of the day sitting in one place on your desk, consider investing in a desk that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing. Studies show that sitting for hours on end and following a sedentary lifestyle puts you at higher risk of certain kinds of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesity. When in the sitting position, your table should be high enough that your elbows and underarms lie straight on the table with loosely hanging upper arms. You should be sitting upright and shouldn’t have to bend your back or strain your neck muscles in order to type or see your screen comfortably.
Consider changing up your keyboard, mouse and monitors to those specifically designed for their ergonomics. In an ergonomic keyboard, the letters are arranged slightly obliquely, allowing your hands to rest in a more natural position. Similarly, an ergonomic mouse will feel like an extension of your hand. Both the keyboard and mouse should be placed in line with the elbows. If you have several monitors connected to your laptop or computer, make sure they are all at eye level and at least an arm’s length away, and have blue-light filters.
Often forgotten, the right lighting plays an important part in increasing our productivity during the workday. Both glare on the screen and a room that is too dark will cause strain on your eyes, causing headaches, stress and reduced productivity. Place your workstation close to a source of natural light without letting the light fall directly on your screen. If you’re unable to do so, invest in task lighting that illuminates your entire desk area. Not only will these provide you with enough lighting to prevent straining your eyes, but all also allow people to see you better on your Zoom calls.
Now, equipped with this knowledge, you are well prepared to start searching for office furniture in Melbourne!
