Do you feel achy, sore, and creaky by the end of the day? Sitting for almost half the time of the day is harmful to health, but some other work-related factors may also affect your health.
Working at a desk is a common source of back and neck pain, owing to the fact that you adapt to your workstation rather than adapting your workstation according to you. Many people, for example, strain their eyes to see a computer display that is too far away, too low, too big, too thin, or too dim. This puts your posture at risk. The average human head weighs nearly 5.4 kilograms, which is about the same as a bowling ball! Your head exerts approximately 23 kilograms of force on your neck when it is bent to 45 degrees.
The pressure affects your breathing and attitude in addition to straining joints and muscles in your neck and shoulders.
Redesign your workspace to promote a well-aligned posture to reduce tension. A traditional workstation’s ergonomics — performance and comfort level — can be improved in a variety of ways. Begin by answering the following questions.
- Is your computer set up in such a way that you can see it clearly without straining?
- Raise or lower the monitor or chair until your eyes are level with the screen’s tip. You may need to lower the display by another 1 to 2 inches if you wear bifocals.
- Adjust the monitor’s distance from you to make it easier to read the screen.
- Increase the size of the font you’re using.
- If you’re using a laptop, attach it to a bigger display.
- To reduce reaching, do you keep commonly used resources close at hand?
- Keep your mouse close by and move it from one side of your body to the other on a regular basis.
- If you talk on the phone a lot, invest in a headset.
- Create a list of shortcut keys that you can use when typing.
- Make use of a paper holder so you don’t have to look down as much.
- Is your chair allowing you to keep the natural curves in your spine, such as the curve in your low back?
- Raise or lower your chair so that you’re not sitting straight up at a 90-degree angle, but rather in a 100-110-degree reclined stance.
- Do your feet hit the ground while you’re seated?
- If your feet no longer hit the ground after elevating your chair, consider using a stool.
- Maintain a few inches of space between the knees and the chair.
- Do the armrests on your chair allow you to relax your shoulders?
- To encourage your neck and shoulders to relax downward, consider lowering or removing the armrests.