- The new normal has increased our reliance on technology, causing people who work at home to face potential health issues, including pain and strain injuries due to poor posture and lack of exercise.
- While moderation in device use can greatly reduce unwanted pain, making adjustments to your work setup makes a big difference.
- For example, chairs with lower back support can help you sit straighter while positioning your computer screen below eye level prevents head, neck, and eye strain from looking down or up.
For several months now, working from home has become part of the new normal for millions of people worldwide during this pandemic.
But the downside of our increased reliance on live video chatting technologies has brought about a host of pain problems and worsening health issues due to a general lack of exercise.
Because the human frame was meant to move around, and not doing repetitive activities from a less than ideal position such as slouching and looking down all day long, we face strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, elbow and shoulder pain, headaches, neck stiffness, and back pain.
Although moderation in using devices is key, there are other simple changes you can make — whether you are working from home or simply want to relieve any physical problems when you’re on your laptop for recreation.
Here are some strategies that may help:
Ergonomic chair:
Position the armrest so that there is a 90-degree angle of your elbow to your wrist to your torso.
Invest in a chair with lower back support to help you sit straighter with the head and torso in a more erect position to avoid unnecessary strain on your neck.
Your feet should be flat on the floor. If you’re shorter in stature, use a footrest so that the thighs and shins are at a 90-degree angle. This also helps prevent you from hunching over at your desk.
Ergonomic workspace:
When working at your computers, your work table should be at the same level with your bent elbows. Make sure too that your arms aren’t angled upwards or downwards and your wrists should not be bent.
Ergonomic computer screen:
The top of your monitor should be positioned slightly below eye level so you should be looking straight ahead rather than your head angling up or down. You can use stacks of thick hardcover books to help you raise the screen to the proper height. Also, make sure you have adequate lighting to avoid straining to see the keyboard or monitor. If you’re squinting, enlarge the fonts or get bigger monitors that fit more words on the screen.
Don’t sit too close to the screen. When your eyes are 18 to 28 inches away from the screen, you should be able to read comfortably.
Change positions often. Set your timer to remind you to take a 30-minute break to stretch, rest your eyes for five seconds, stand up and move around, and drink water.
Use a headset if you talk frequently on the phone. Holding a phone receiver between your face and shoulder while typing is a sure-fire way of increasing neck strain.
To give you an idea of how all your angles and posture line up, ask someone to take a picture of you while working at your desk. From there, you can make any adjustments or fine-tune your work-from-home layout. Making such adjustments can simply pave your way for minimizing unwanted pain problems during the pandemic.
Via Web MD