Nowadays, although working from home has become as natural as working in an office and nobody finds it surprising that one can work online without having to actually come to work anymore, yet there appear more and more problems which are caused by not keeping the good sitting posture and as a result, experiencing severe back pains. These problems are connected with the fact that people who work online do that in unsuitable places and assume improper sitting positions. To prevent that, a functional home office should be created. The question arises – how to do that?
The pandemic has shown that there are two types of workers – those who enjoy working from home and those who can’t imagine working anywhere else but in an office. Those in favour of home office will definitely admit that working from home requires introducing some necessary changes to the place which is to be their work space, otherwise adverse health effects will be observed. Sitting for long hours on a laptop - no matter if on a sofa or in an armchair - can often cause backache or stomach-ache. The remedy will be to create at your home a functional work space. We would like to offer you some tips on how to arrange such a place.
Desk height
If you work from home, you should carefully examine the height your computer and keyboard will be at. It’s vital because the incorrect way of resting your arms and wrists will increase the risk of muscle strain and degeneration in the area of extensor muscle tendon attachment. While doing office work you should take regular breaks and stretch your wrists. In order to stay healthy, make sure your elbows are sufficiently supported and wrists are in a neutral position on the desk. The ideal desk height is 72-75 cm for people whose height is 170 cm or less. Whereas, taller people should sit at higher desks – the ideal desk height for them is 80-85 cm. A height-adjustable desk can be a wonderful solution, especially if there are more family members to use the desk as it can be individually adjusted to one’s height.
Comfortable armchair
Apart from paying close attention to the right parameters of the desk, it’s important to make sure your armchair which you’ll be working in is comfortable. Its seat and backrest should be properly adjusted. Make sure that your armrests are height adjusted and they support your arms at all times. The backrest is also crucial – best would be the one which is convex in lower back section and it should be height adjustable, too. If your armchair is a rolling chair, make sure the floor isn’t slippery – you may find doing your work quite hard if you keep sliding away from your desk.
Home office – what else should be considered?
Your work should not be just a duty, it should be fun, too. Therefore, your home office should be as nice and comfortable as possible. After all, this is the place where you will spend much time. Surround it with plants, make sure there’s sufficient light and eliminate any possible distractions. Make sure your charging cable can easily reach a socket because otherwise, after a few hours’ work you’ll have to leave your desk and go to look for a spot where you can do your work and charge your computer at the same time.
It doesn’t have to be hard to arrange a functional home office. And it’s worthy – you’ll feel a difference once you take care of your back by creating a spine-friendly work space.