So you were just told by your company that you need to work from home for an indefinite period of time? No problem!
On the plus side, self-isolating during the coronavirus outbreak means there will be a lot
of pajama wearing, no commute, and you may have a pet to help you with some of your more difficult projects. On the minus side, you now have to figure out how to get through an 8 (+?) hour day armed with a company-issued laptop and probably little else. Working exclusively off of your laptop may be fine for small periods of time, relying on it for a full work day can increase your risk for developing Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). Neck pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, and maladaptive postures are some of the common side-effects of working off of a laptop.
To remedy this situation, you’re going to need 5 essential items:
1. Something to sit on
2. An external keyboard
3. An external mouse, trackpad, or roller ball
4. A surface on which to put your keyboard and mouse/trackpad/roller ball
5. A slightly higher surface on which to put your monitor or laptop
This will result in three surfaces at different heights- the lowest surface that you sit on, the mid-level surface for your keyboard and mouse, and the highest surface for your laptop or monitor. Having these 3 levels is essential for maintaining good posture and ergonomically correct movements while working. So how do we achieve this?
Posture First
Let’s start with where you’ll be sitting. You may have a few options- a hard chair, a couch, a bench, etc. Whatever you are working with, we want your final position to be with either an upright posture, or a slight recline back (no more than 120 degrees). You also want your feet firmly on the floor with your hips slightly higher than your knees and full back support. For most people, achieving this position is going to mean pillows and probably lots of them. Is your chair too low for you? You’ll need pillows to sit on. Is your couch too large for you? Pillows behind the back. Is your chair too high? Perhaps a box under the feet.
Where do I put my arms?
First, let’s talk about where your keyboard and mouse should be since this will dictate where your arms are placed. Your keyboard should be at the same height as your elbows when they are relaxed at your sides. Take a look at the diagram if this doesn’t make sense. What you’ll see is that your shoulders are relaxed with the elbows hanging almost straight down by your sides. The elbows are then bent 90-100 degrees with the wrists straight. For some of you this will mean having the keyboard and mouse basically on your lap and for others they will be 2-3 inches above your lap. Use whatever firm surface you have lying around to achieve this position. You might have a tabletop or desk, or you may need to use something like a large book, box, piece of cardboard, etc.
So where does the laptop (or monitor) go?
Now that your back and arms have been positioned, it’s time to deal with the screen. The top to top ⅓ of the screen should be level with your eyeline with the screen arm's length away. Positioning your screen like this will allow your gaze to rest naturally downward at a 15 degree angle, limiting risk for eye strain. To achieve this, you can usually use things like boxes, books, or shelves. Alternatively, if hooking your tv up to your computer is an option, this might work well too. At any rate, you want to allow your gaze to fall naturally downward at 15 degrees with a relaxed, neutral neck that’s not twisted to either side.
What if I like standing?
Great! All of the rules about positioning and posture still apply, so you will still need to find a surface to place your keyboard and mouse on as well as a higher surface for your laptop or monitor. Finding the right standing workspace is going to take some creativity and keep in mind that really, nothing is going to be perfect. Do you have a table and some boxes? That’ll do. Do you have a deep bookshelf? It will be awkward, but technically that’ll do. Do you have a kitchen countertop and a flipped upside-down wastepaper basket? Again, this isn’t great but if it’s all you have then use it. The point is to give yourself a break from sitting so that you can stand up for about 15-20 minutes at a time. If you can achieve this by standing to work at your kitchen counter then you’ve done a good thing for your body. And that brings us to our last point.
Always Be Moving!
Even under the best of circumstances and with your most stunningly well-designed ergonomic workspace, you are still at a risk for developing an RSI if you are performing the same movement all day long, day in and day out, with no variation and no breaks. So we want you to walk, stretch, and just move. Have you been working on the couch for the past hour? Move to the kitchen counter. Worked there for a while? Go sit at the table. Have you been staring at your computer for so long that you forgot what day it is? It’s probably time for a break. If possible, find 2-3 places that you can use as a workspace and fine-tune them as much as you can with the items you have. Then get up, and move on to the next area. If you are the kind of person who gets locked into your work and forgets what day it is, use an app to set reminders. If you are the kind of person to ignore common sense movement breaks, then drink water throughout the day and you won't have much of a choice but to get up and use the bathroom.
Setting up your workstation at home with only items already on hand is tricky but the key is to get creative and keep moving. This guide is best used as a temporary solution, but if you are self-isolating for a more extended period of time, investing in an ergonomic assessment and some home office equipment may be the next step. Click below to book a personalized online assessment.
Comments