To produce your best work, your workspace needs to be functional to you.
And this doesn't mean you need to clutter your desk with high-tech gadgets and fancy equipment. Instead, focus on the basics: ergonomics.
Your sitting posture at your desk greatly affects your long-term health.
Luckily, you can easily adjust your workspace to suit your body.
In this blog post, we'll guide you on how to properly position your body when sitting at your home office desk. Starting from your feet moving up. Keep reading to achieve a perfectly ergonomic workspace.
What we'll cover:
Lower Body Positioning
When setting up your home office, start with your feet. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a 90-degree angle. This position will help relax your joints and prevent pressure on your lower back and legs.
We recommend using an adjustable chair so you have more control on your body's position while sitting.
Adjust the chair to a height where your feet firmly touch the ground.
Some things to avoid: wrapping your legs around the chair or desk and dangling your feet. If you let your feet dangle, it can add unwanted pressure to the back of your legs.
If you don't have an adjustable chair, don't worry! You can place yoga blocks or books under your feet.
Back and Arms Positioning
When seated in your chair, it’s healthy to lean back 10-15 degrees to relieve pressure on supporting muscles.
Keep your arms relaxed at your sides to prevent tension, which can lead to neck pain or headaches.
Adjust the armrest height if you need to rest your arms.
While typing, ensure that your arms are relaxed, ans your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Position your keyboard directly in front of you at a height that aligns with your hands.
We highly recommend using a standing desk, or as we like to call it a height-adjustable desk. This will help you adjust your work surface at the right height, even for typing. We’ll go over the proper desk height in the following section.
Upper Body Positioning
Your posture also affects the place of your monitor.
The screen should be positioned at arm’s length from you.
The height should be bit lower than eye level, so you’re looking slightly down.
Make sure to avoid positioning the screen too close since it may strain your eyes, or too high or low which could exert unwanted pressure on the vertebrae in your spine.
Since your desk has to be lower to ensure proper typing position, you can achieve the ideal monitor height by rising it with a desk shelf, monitor arm, or laptop riser/stand.
Our personal recommendation: use a desk shelf to keep your desk organized and neat, but place your monitor on a monitor arm that allows you to adjust the screen to your liking.
You're ready!
Your home office can either be good or harmful to your long-term body health.
By staying mindful of your body’s posture and adjusting your workspace accordingly, you can create a comfortable yet productive environment.
This guide has highlighted the importance of proper body positioning and given you practical tips to consider.
From adjusting your chair to proper monitor positioning, you now know the right steps to take to achieve a comfortable and healthy workspace. You are now prepared to begin setting up your ergonomic home office.
If you have any questions about this, or need more guidance on proper body positioning, we'd love to help you! Contact us.
For more home office tips, keep reading our journal.
