Set Up Your Ergonomic Home Office

Modern lifestyles take their toll when it comes to general health. Most jobs require us to spend at least 8 hours of the day behind a computer, most of which we spend sitting in our office chairs. People spend too much time at their desks in a passive state. According to research published in the magazine Annals of Internal Medicine, we spend most of our working hours without any physical activity. We are sitting to eat our meals, sitting to drive, sitting to work at our desk, and then sitting on the couch for TV in the evenings.

On the one hand, technology really helps people in everyday work. For example, when we use technology, computers, and smartphones to deal with more work in less time. On the other hand, too much sitting leads to a bad physical condition and often many problems such as poor posture, back pain, or serious diseases such as obesity, heart problems, and diabetes.

The world has moved to a reality where many people are working from home and social distancing measures require a new normal.  This means more and more people are working at a location other than their business office. 

Since many South Africans are now working from home for the first time, getting the correct home office setup presents a challenging problem. Sometimes space within the home is limited and office space may double as a dining space, kitchen counter, or general use area.

In instances where a desk and chair are present, they may not have the adjustability needed to provide a suitable long-term work environment. When setting up the home work environment remember to implement ergonomics basics; such as an Exemplis Corp study conducted in 2014 showed that an ergonomic office setup motivates people by increasing performance and overall wellbeing.

Ergotherapy has long since seen the need to adapt workstations to avoid repetitive strain injuries and to ease existing conditions, like back pain, and optimise workspaces to bring about enhanced productivity.

Below is advice based on physiotherapy, anatomy, and physiology, and human kinetics and ergonomics basics, aimed to assist in designing the most optimum workspace within a home environment in order to work with ease and increase productivity. 

• Make sure that you select a dedicated work area in your home. This could be an empty or spare bedroom that you convert to a home office. If you are pressed for space, you can set up a desk for your computer and office supplies. Regardless of space or location, establish an area of your home where you will work, and commit to working in this space every day.
  
  
• Be sure your workspace is quiet so you can focus on the task at hand.
  
  
• Try to set up desk space with clear foot-room, and a clear organised surface for your laptops and notes, etc.

Is the front of the seat pan hitting the back of your knees?

• This can result in less back support or can result in contact stress against the back of the knees.
  
  
• Look for an alternative chair with a smaller seat or add a firm cushion behind your back to push you slightly forward without losing back support.

Does the edge of the seat cut into the back of your legs?

• When a seat is too short for the user it cuts off blood flow and causes compression in the thighs. This can create neural and pain issues in the lower back and legs.
  
  
• Look for a firm pillow to sit on to “extend” the seat. Ideally you only want 3-4 finger spaces from behind the knee to the edge of the seat.

Is the chair lacking back support?

• If the inward curve of your low back is not supported by the chair or if your back has to round outwards to touch the chair, you may not have enough support and may get a painful back after sitting for a while. The spine should be supported and in a relaxed position when working.
  
  
• Consider adding a small pillow or folded towel to provide additional lumbar support. Make sure the lumbar support is not pushing you too far forward though – your hips and shoulders should still be in contact with the backrest!

Do your feet not touch the floor?

• If your feet are unsupported it is difficult to maintain a good sitting posture and there will be more stress on your low back and thighs. Rather have the chair higher in order to be at the right height of the desk surface and use a footrest or alternative (sturdy binder, box, pack of copy paper) to support your feet and ensure you have a stable base of support.

Are your shoulders tight and aching?

• If possible, use a chair with armrests at the same height as the desk.
  
  
• Rest the arms on the armrests to offload the pressure on your shoulders and upper spine.
  
  
• Otherwise move the chair extra close and under the desk so that the arms can rest on the desk space.
  
  
• Elbows should be at 90 degrees.

Why should you invest in an ergonomic chair?

• Studies repeatedly show that a personalised adjustable ergonomic chair reduces lower back pain in computer workers by improving work-related sitting posture.
  
  
• Studies also show that patients with previous back problems see a significant decrease in their pain response over time, after switching to an ergonomic chair. In addition, users reported improved productivity and overall well-being.

(International Ergonomics Association, 2017).

Is the monitor too low?

• This results in neck flexion and hunching to view the screen.  Laptops can cause a number of repetitive strain injuries as the screen is simply too low.
  
  
• Be sure to use a peripheral keyboard and mouse (bring them from work if needed) and then just raise the laptop up on some books.
  
  
• The “Google” search bar should be at eye level.  For a truly ergonomic setup, consider a height-adjustable laptop stand or a monitor arm. These can help ease neck strain, headaches, and shoulder issues.

Is the monitor too far away?

• If you find you cannot see the small laptop screen and are squinting or leaning forward to view it, then you lose the upper back support you should be getting from your chair which causes spinal pain. 
  
  
• Try pulling the laptop closer or enlarging the font if you cannot pull it nearer.

Is the light coming through the windows around you an issue?

• This can cause you to squint at the screen in an awkward posture and increases eye strain. As the sunlight changes throughout the day, you might also have varied brightness on your workspace.
  
  
• Theraspecs showed in one study, that nearly three-quarters of migraine attacks within the workplace were light-triggered. (Theraspecs Company 2017).
  
  
• See if you can position yourself and equipment perpendicular to a window OR adjust your blinds to help reduce any glare. 
  
  
• DON’T just turn the laptop screen though, that will cause you to work with your neck twisted.

Are you experiencing eye fatigue or eye strain?

• Environmental lighting and the computer screen are all different at home compared to an office environment.
  
  
• To reduce eye fatigue and nerve strain ensure you are taking breaks away from the screen by following the 20/20/20 guidelines (every 20 minutes, take your eyes off the screen for 20 seconds, focus on something 20 meters away).
  
  
• You may also want to consider adjusting your monitor settings as well to reduce eye fatigue (brightness, contrast, colour, etc.). 

 After being given the option to sit and stand when working, users report:

• 84% – Less Fatigue
• 83% – Feel Better Overall
• 62% – Improved Comfort
• 60% – More Energy