We have all likely experienced major interruptions to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes rapidly adapting to using our kitchen benchtops and dining tables as offices.
The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to help protect your physical and mental wellbeing while working from home.
Ergonomic Self-Checklist
Sit and check how well your current setup matches ours! If something isn’t quite right, don’t worry, we have some solutions for you too.
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor, hips and knees at right angles or slightly greater.
- Tuck your elbows into your side and keep them at a right angle. In this position, your forearms should sit above the height of the desk.
- Position your keyboard directly in front of you close to the edge of the desk. Keep your mouse as close to your keyboard as possible.
- Your screen should be an arm’s length away.
- When you are looking straight ahead, your gaze should sit just below the top of the screen.
Ella Borgeaud’s home office.
Home Workstation Hacks
Not everyone will have a proper desk, chair and computer screen in their home. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can improve your makeshift office even with a limited budget.
- Feet don’t touch the ground? Use some boxes under your feet to keep them supported!
- Monitors not high enough? Place some reams of paper or large books to raise their height.
- If you are using a laptop, purchase a separate keyboard and mouse.
- If you are using a fixed-height chair (e.g. a dining chair) and can’t make it any higher; place some pillows on it.
Work from home solution – Sourced from abc.net.au
Self-Care Tips
- Try to separate work from the rest of your life.
- Get dressed as if you’re going to work, and at the end of the day, get changed again!
- If you can, work in a separate area of your home. Don’t just set up on the kitchen table.
- Keep your regular work schedule. Set recurring alarms morning and afternoon breaks, and lunch. Also have clear start and finish times.
- Try not to answer work e-mails and phone calls outside of working hours.
- If you normally spend an hour commuting, spend that time exercising instead.
- Move early, and move often! Consider this analogy: if you wait until you’re thirsty, it’s too late, you’re already dehydrated. If you wait until you have pain to change your position, it’s too late.
Still Need Help?
These are general tips and may not work for everyone. If you need specific advice, or have preexisting musculoskeletal conditions, our ergonomic Physiotherapists can conduct workstation assessments via video-link.
At SportsCare & Physiotherapy we also have a variety of ergonomic equipment for sale, including ergonomic Penguin mice, numberslide keyboards and ‘Cricket’ laptop stands.
Phone your preferred clinic on 1800 001 500 to organise an assessment or check stock lists