Introduction

You may find yourself spending a significant portion of your day sitting at a computer desk, whether for work, study, hobbies, or leisure activities. If you do this improperly, it can lead to various health issues ranging from a sore rear-end to Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) and back pain. Ergonomics, is the science (and maybe the art?) of designing and arranging workplaces to optimize your well-being and performance in your workspace. Let’s look at the fundamentals of workspace ergonomics, exploring the key elements for setting up an ergonomic work environment that will promote both physical health and cognitive performance.

Workspace Setup with Open shelves

Workspace Setup with Open shelves

Ergonomics:

The art of designing and arranging workspaces that promote wellness in the person using the workspace.

As a home workspace user you have a great advantage over the corporate office worker in that, in all aspects of the corporate space, the worker can only accept whatever workspace and equipment has been allocated to him/her. In the home office, you can set up your workspace in any way you see fit. What follows will give you food for thought and guidance in how you will do this.

Understanding Ergonomics and Its Benefits

Ergonomics involves designing work environments that cater to the needs of individuals, rather than forcing individuals to adapt to the environment. I believe that proper ergonomics in the home workspace will greatly reduce the risk of health issues like RSI and back pain, etc. As a result of being more comfortable at your desk, your focus and productivity can be increased.

Ergonomic Chair Selection

What separates a normal household chair from an Ergonomic chair? Certainly you can use a normal chair in your workspace but this will just make your work harder. The chair is unlikely to set you up at the proper height relative to the desk, so using the keyboard and monitor may become more difficult. If you’re using a normal house chair, don’t make this a long-term thing. Change it for an ergonomic chair as soon as you can.

    • Lumbar Support: An ergonomic chair should offer proper lumbar support to maintain the natural curve of your spine and prevent slouching, which can lead to back pain. If yours doesn’t have any, try setting a thin cushion in place to serve this function.

    • Adjustable Height: Chairs with height-adjustable features allow users to customize the chair’s height to match their desk height, ensuring proper alignment of the arms and desk surface. Ideally this should allow your feet to sit comfortably on the floor. If this is not possible, a foot rest would solve the problem. Don’t sacrifice chair height so you can keep your feet on the ground.

    • Seat Depth and Width: The chair’s seat should be deep enough to support your thighs without putting pressure on the back of your knees, while the width should comfortably accommodate the hips.

    • Armrests: Adjustable armrests will support your arms while typing or using the mouse, preventing strain on the shoulders and neck. Without a proper armrest, you could be tempted to rest your arm on the desktop while using the mouse. This means sitting closer to the monitor and, maybe, slouching over to access the mouse.

    • Seat Padding: You may like to use seat padding for a more comfortable experience. If this is the case, then you should consider the padding as a permanent fixture of your chair setup and the chair should be adjusted with the padding in place.

Ergonomic Desk Selection

    • Desk Height: Except in the case of Standing Desks, where their height is adjustable, your desk height is fixed. Whatever variations in desk-to-chair heights are required, will be adjusted from the chair. Of course, if you are DIYing your own workspace, you can have complete control over why the desk will be a certain height, but don’t get too caught-up in this. Unless you have special needs, normally a standard desk height is ok with the variations being catered for by your chair.

    • Ample Surface Area: A spacious desk allows users to organize their tools, devices, and documents efficiently, reducing the need for constant reaching or leaning. My preference is to have a nearby zone – within easy reach from your seated position, that is kept clear and only used during your current workflow. This will be cleared when your work is finished. Beyond this is a secondary zone where you can place whatever tools and devices you need.

    • Monitor Placement: The computer monitor should be at eye level, about an arm’s length away, and tilted slightly backward so that the distance to your eye from the top and bottom of the monitor are the same. This means your focus distance is not changing as your eye looks around the monitor.

    • Keyboard and Mouse Placement: A keyboard tray or a desktop keyboard at elbow height, and a mouse placed close to the keyboard, will help you maintain a relaxed posture while working.

Proper Seated Posture

    • Aligning the Body: You should adjust your chair height so you are sitting with your feet flat on the floor or a footrest, knees at a 90-degree angle, and hips slightly higher than your knees.

    • Back Support: Your lower back should rest against the lumbar support of the chair, maintaining the natural curve of your spine.

    • Head and Neck Position: Your head and neck should be in a neutral position, avoiding excessive tilting or turning. These excessive movements could be caused by using a wide screen monitor or sitting too close to the monitor, but this is a topic for another discussion and is a personal preference.

    • Arm Position: Arms should be relaxed, close to the body, and bent at a 90-degree angle at the elbow, with forearms parallel to the ground.

Ergonomics for Laptop Users

With the increasing prevalence of laptops, it is essential to address ergonomic concerns specific to laptops. Laptops are convenient but many people tend to use them for all their work, often leading to poor posture due to how they’re used. As an experiment, open your laptop on your desk and set yourself up to use it. Now examine the relevant guidelines listed above – how many are you breaking just because you’re using a laptop? To improve ergonomics as a laptop user:

    • Laptop Stand: Invest in a laptop stand or docking station to elevate the screen to eye level. This helps maintain a proper viewing angle, reducing strain on the neck and eyes. Even better, use an external monitor.

    • External Monitor: Most laptop screens today are quite small in comparison to the normal desktop monitor. They are also quite high resolution, and in order to view some details on them properly you may find yourself leaning towards the screen causing eye and shoulder strain over a long term. A desktop monitor would solve this problem.

    • External Keyboard and Mouse: When using a laptop for extended periods, connect an external keyboard and mouse. This allows users to position the peripherals at the correct height and distance, promoting a more ergonomic typing and mousing experience.

    • Regular Screen Breaks: Encourage users to take short breaks and look away from the laptop screen every 20 minutes to reduce eye strain and potential vision-related issues.

In short, if you’re using a laptop in your workspace, try to add the equipment that would effectively turn it into a desktop computer.

Ergonomics for Portable Devices:

Of course you have a smart phone and maybe also a tablet. Who knows what else you may have – maybe a second phone? Where do these fit in the ergonomic vision for your workspace? In my view, Whatever devices you have should be set on stands so they’re easily visible and within easy reach. I don’t suggest you operate them from their stands, as this would again promote slouching. Also, they are designed as hand-held devices and this is how they should be used. They should be easy to lift for short-term use and then equally easy to replace on their stand.

Lighting and Glare Considerations

Proper lighting is crucial for an ergonomic workstation. Insufficient lighting can strain the eyes, while excessive glare can cause discomfort. Consider the following:

    • Natural Light: Position your computer desk near a window to make the most of natural light. However, ensure that the sunlight does not cause glare on the computer screen. If a window is not available, consider adding accent lighting elsewhere in the workspace to provide similar benefits.

    • Task Lighting: Use adjustable task lighting, such as a desk lamp with a flexible neck, or a monitor-top light bar to supplement the natural light and provide adequate illumination for reading and typing. Don’t rely on the light from the monitor to illuminate your desk.

    • Glare Reduction: If you cannot eliminate glare on your monitor screen, install anti-glare screen protectors on computer monitors to minimize reflections and glare that may cause eye strain.

    • Accent lighting: If you’re sitting at your desk in the wee small hours with only your desk lamp and the monitor to give you light, it can feel a bit claustrophobic. Set a few more lights on shelves, on the desk, anywhere, that are there purely to break up the darkness.

Ergonomics for Home Office Setup

There are aspects of Ergonomics that are specific to a home work space.

    • Dedicated Workspace: You may be restricted for space at home, but it is important that you create a designated area for work. This not only enhances focus but also helps maintain a clear boundary between work and personal life. Even if it’s a fold-away arrangement, it means when you’ve opened it up that you’re working and that when its closed up the work is over.

    • Cable Management: This is an area that a lot of people will ignore. Usually you can see this in a collection of extension socket bars on the floor tucked behind the desk. Maybe you’re constantly kicking them out of the way. This is unacceptable in a home environment – especially where there may be ‘pudding-people’ running around. You must organize cables and wires to prevent tripping hazards, maintain a clean and clutter-free workspace and be safely protected. Seriously, this is non-negotiable.

Encouraging Movement and Breaks

    • Microbreaks: You should take short breaks every 30 minutes, where you can stand up, stretch, and move around to alleviate muscle tension. I usually use the excuse of getting a cup of tea.

    • Active Workstations: You should consider using standing desks or convertible sit-stand desks to allow you to alternate between sitting and standing positions throughout the day.

Conclusion

Creating an ergonomic workspace setup is vital for promoting comfort, health, and productivity. By investing in ergonomic furniture and adopting proper seated postures, you can mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and enhance your overall well-being. Remember, ergonomics is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It is also a set of guidelines, rather than a set of rules. By prioritizing ergonomics, you can transform your workspace to be more comfortable and efficient.

Of course, you may find it difficult to comply with all the guidelines above, whether because you don’t see the point, or maybe because you can’t find the furniture to suit, but as this is a DIY site, I’m sure we will have some of the answers you need.