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Physio Nat gives us her top tips for workstation set up at home or the office.
At the start of COVID lockdown last year, I was told that all my uni classes were to go online. This meant going out and buying a desk and chair to set up a little study nook at home all within a couple of weeks. Sound familiar?
And, if like me, you didn’t have time to think about how to properly set up your workspace, or you have started working back in the office again, now is the perfect time to check and readjust to make it the most efficient and comfortable as possible. So, with that in mind, here are a couple of our top tips on setting up workstations:
Whilst there is no perfect seated position and everyone should trial different positions to work out what is best for you, generally it is best to sit with feet flat on the floor (or a footrest), knees slightly lower than hips, sit back into the backrest of the chair
Keep shoulders relaxed, sit close to the desk so that elbows are reasonably close to the side of the body
Set up the computer screen so that your eyeline is looking at the top 1/3 of your screen – that way you aren’t required to sustain positions looking up, down or side to side
Position the screen approximately 1 arm length away from the face
Keep a flat smooth surface for the mouse and keyboard to be at the same level
Position the keyboard away from the edge of the desk to allow for forearm support and fingers to comfortably rest on the middle row of keys
And an extra note: Keep moving!!
Our body is not designed to stay in one set position for long periods, therefore, postures should be changed regularly throughout the day. Try alternating between sitting and standing or go for a short walk around the office or home every 30-45min.
References:
Queensland Government: Office of Industrial Relations. (2012). Ergonomic guide to computer-based workstations (pp. 1-19). Queensland: The State of Queensland.
Victoria State Government. (2006). Officewise – A guide to health & safety in the office. Victoria: Worksafe Victoria.