As we become more aware of how our lives affect our health on a day-to-day basis, the importance of an ergonomic work setup is becoming more prominent. But with so much information out there, how can you know if you’re setting up your office correctly?
What Does “Ergonomic” Really Mean?
In order for your workspace to be ergonomic, your workspace needs to be comfortable and optimal for working. This essentially means that your entire workstation, from your chair to your desk, to your computer and its accessories, are all designed to help you work efficiently and comfortably. This may mean buying office furniture that is specifically designed with ergonomics in mind, or even customizable furniture that it made for your body type.
Your Chair
First and foremost, your chair needs to be able to support you. This means ensuring that the back of the chair has lumbar support; in other words, supporting your lower back and the natural curve of your back. A few ways you can do this is by ensuring that your chair is the right size for you, meaning that the seat is the right size so that your back rests against the back of the chair comfortably. If you have to sit forward towards the edge of your seat rather than fully against the back of your chair, then your chair is too big for you. Additionally, if the back of your chair does not offer support, you can buy specifically made lumbar pillows to introduce proper back support to your chair.
The other important piece is your chair needs to be set to the correct height. You shouldn’t feel like you’re hunched over your desk or struggling to type comfortably on the keyboard. In order to do this, make sure that you are eye level with your computer monitor, or a few centimeters below your monitor, never above. You should be able to rest your elbows on your desk at a 90-degree angle, with your knees level with your hips and your feet placed fully on the ground. If your chair is too high, you may want to consider buying a footrest to combat this problem.
Your Desk
Next, we move on to the desk. While this can be incredibly tricky, as there are so many pieces in the best desk setup puzzle, there are a few things you can still do to help you think about how best to set up your desk so it’s more ergonomic. This starts with your desk height. Of course, while you want your chair to be the right height, you also want the same for your desk as these are two components that work closely together. The easiest way to do this is to buy a desk that has adjustable legs (many IKEA desks work like this), or a standing desk, that at the push of a button can raise up or down depending on your needs.
Your Computer Set-Up
Keeping your shoulders in a relaxed position is key to making your space more ergonomic. However, most keyboards were not created with ergonomics in mind, so you may still need to be hunched over to type, or may need to keep your shoulders in a more rigid position. Typically, when people think of ergonomic keyboards, they think of a keyboard with cushions for your wrists. While that may be nice, what you really need is to find a keyboard that has keys that are spaced further apart, allowing you to rest your hands a shoulder-width away from each other. This can mean buying a split keyboard, a partially split keyboard, or a keyboard that doesn’t have a number pad. These types of keyboards also tend to lie flat rather than towards you, as this keeps your wrists flat. Additionally, you should be using a separate mouse rather than a trackpad, and this mouse needs to work correctly, and be the right size for your hand.
Overall, ergonomics basically dictates that the one-size-fits-all approach does not work for office set-ups. Make sure that your office is set up to comfortably support you to reduce strain and to maximize comfort and efficiency.
Lauren Schwartz | Staff Writer