Working From Home Tips!

InSPIRe Rehab knows that many people are working remotely, many of us do not have a home office setup to promote good body mechanics. It’s tempting to work on your laptop seated on the couch or in the bed with it sitting on your lap; however, as comfortable as that may seem, utilizing poor body mechanics for extended duration is putting you at risk for several ergonomic related injuries. Ergonomic equipment can be pricey and with stores and online shopping limited, they can be hard to come by in a reasonable time to help you right now. Here are some simple adaptations you can make with things around your home to improve the setup of your workstation.

• Sit at a table or desk. Make sure you have plenty of leg space as limited leg space will put at risk for sitting further away from the keyboard/monitor causing unnecessary reaching. Also, if there’s no room for your legs in front, people tend to tuck them under which causing stress on your nerves and usually “sleeping”/numb feet when you go to get up.
• ​Use a good sturdy chair rather than the recliner. Most tables are too high, so try putting a pillow on the chair to improve comfort and raise you up. Elbows should be at approximately 90 degrees with wrists at neutral when typing or using the mouse.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor. You can use a stool, box, or book to achieve this.
• Raise your monitor. Put books or old boxes under your monitor to raise it up to eye level (old college textbooks work great!!) The top of your monitor should be level with your eyes.
• Laptops are another story! Try a 3 ring binder under the laptop to raise the monitor but keep the keyboard slanted at an angle that is comfortable to type at. If you can, use a detached keyboard/mouse so you can adjust the height of your laptop/iPad more efficiently.
• Lights- make sure you have good lighting and no glare on the screen from lights or windows to protect yourself from eye and neck strain.

In addition to the setup of your workstation, remember to drink water and take stretching or mini breaks to switch the laundry, etc. throughout the day as these mini breaks, even in optimal environments, are needed to refresh your mind and body.