Working from home? Make sure your setup is optimal with these tips!
As we enter year 2 of the Pandemic and Working from Home there are many workers who will still be working from home for the foreseeable future. According to Statistics Canada, ~40% of Canadian jobs can be done from home (1), and there is a high likelihood that workers may continue to work for home at least in part following the Pandemic.
From what we are seeing in the numerous home office assessments we have been doing since March 2020, a large majority of workers are working in non-optimal home set-ups. This can put workers at increased risk for new musculoskeletal discomfort or aggravation of previous symptoms.
Some common risk factors we see include:
Working at the kitchen/ dining table
Sitting in a chair with limited to no support and no adjustability
Using a desk that is too high or a chair that is too low
Chair is too high (feet not firmly supported on the floor)
Working directly off the low laptop screen
Using a table or desk with a drawer or apron that impedes leg clearance
Not having a proper surface to work on
A proper ergonomic set-up would include an adjustable chair, external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and desk. Having this setup helps to minimize risk to workers but may not be feasible for everyone working from home. While you may not be able to achieve the perfect set-up at home, it is often possible to make a few small changes to your set-up for better alignment. Doing this can often have a significant impact on pain and overall help improve your comfort when working.
Our FREE Working from home webinar (see below) provides simple tips and tricks to adapt your current set-up to minimize discomfort using things you can find around your house. It also includes information about how non-optimal postures increase your risk of injury and can contribute to existing discomfort.
Some of these simple solutions include:
Using a pillow/ cushion on the chair seat to raise forearms to align with surface height
Placing a pillow on the backrest to increase back/ lumbar support
Positioning a stack of books or a box under the feet to position knees at 90 degrees
Raising the laptop screen to better align with seated eye height (if using an external keyboard/ mouse)
It could be worth reaching out to your employer to request an ergonomic assessment. If they do not have a go-to organization, feel free to reach out to us! We will discuss your full symptom history, get your chair measurements and optimize your workstation (Ie. desk height, monitor height, keyboard, etc.). Check out our services and pick the one that is right for you.
Good luck!
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