Six Tips for a Healthy Home Office
Working from home comes with lots of perks: the coffee’s always good, the work attire is bunny-slipper casual, and you can fit in little chores during work breaks.
But working in a home office can also come with some aches and pains. If your space isn’t set up ergonomically (in ways that help you avoid strain and pain), you can end up with serious repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome or sciatica.
To help you avoid stress and injury in your home office, Space Makers Junk Removal offers these six tips for setting up a home office to ensure maximum health and comfort.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT DESK
A desk or table should clear your legs and allow you to position your arms at a 90° angle to reach the keyboard. Desk height should be between 25 and 30 inches, but the optimal height for most desks is 28.5 inches. However, if you’re tall and need more height, raise the desk up. If you’re short, then try finding a chair that will adjust to place you at the right height.
SET YOUR SCREEN AT THE RIGHT HEIGHT
Ideally, your screen should be about 18 inches from your face and your eyes should hit at the top third of the screen. If you find yourself looking down at your screen, then use a riser or prop up books to adjust screen height. If you’re looking up at your screen, then adjust your chair so that you’re looking directly at the top third of the screen.
THE PROBLEM WITH LAPTOPS
Most people work from laptops these days, but if your hunching over to type on your laptop for hours a day, you’re unduly straining your neck, shoulders, and back, not to mention your wrists and hands. Invest in a separate monitor and an external keyboard that you can position to save stress on your body.
FIND THE RIGHT CHAIR
When seated, you should be able to place your feet flat on the floor with your knees at a 90° angle and your thighs parallel to the floor. Be sure you choose a chair that can adjust to the height you need.
The chair should also provide lumbar—or lower back—support. Chairs that lean too far back or sit up too straight don’t do this. Look for an ergonomic chair with adjustable back curved to support the lower back.
Also look for a chair with comfortable, padded armrests. Your shoulders should be relaxed as you work. Armrests keep the tension out of your upper back as you type, and placing them slightly above your desk surface can help keep your wrists and forearms from contacting the hard surface of your desk—and developing nerve pain from contact stress.
DON’T FORGET YOUR FEET
If you can’t find a chair that allows you to place your feet flat on the floor, consider an adjustable footrest, a low stool, or a stack of books to help you find the right position.
UPGRADE YOUR KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
To keep your wrists at the most comfortable position, try switching to an ergonomic keyboard. Although more expensive, ergonomic keyboards are designed to keep your hands, wrists, arms in a more natural position. They come in different shapes, adjustable heights, and varying key layouts, and some have extra features like pads for your wrists. Once you find the right board for you, you’ll be less likely to develop repetitive stress injuries or contact stress injuries.
An ergonomic mouse is curved to fit the shape of your palm, placing your wrist in a natural position rather than bending it at an angle that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, mouse arm, and other repetitive stress injuries.
ARRANGE YOUR DESK SENSIBLY
Give your body a break by placing frequently used items closer to you. Instead of constantly reaching across the desk for your stapler, for example, keep it right in front of you. Need to reach a heavy book on a shelf above your desk? Stand up to get it, rather than stretching to pull it off the shelf. Work a lot at night? Be sure you have a good light source to help you avoid eye strain.
USE YOUR PHONE CORRECTLY
If you’re on the phone a lot, you may be tempted to cradle it between your ear and your shoulder so you can write or type while you talk. Cradling it, rather than holding it, puts a lot of strain on your neck and shoulders. If you can’t hold the phone in your hand, then use the speaker, or invest in a headset.
CALL SPACE MAKERS TO HAUL OFF OLD OR UNWANTED OFFICE EQUIPMENT
If you’re thinking about upgrading your home office space so that it works better for you, then what can you do with your old furniture and office equipment?
Our San Antonio-area junk removal specialists at Space Makers Junk Removal can remove any office equipment that isn’t working for you, from desks and chairs to filing cabinets and shelves. We also provide electronics removal in San Antonio. We offer eco-friendly electronics disposal in San Antonio, and we can take your old televisions, computers, printers, or other electronics.
CONTACT US TODAY to help you turn your home office space into a healthy, comfortable place to work!