5 things to do today to avoid injuries whilst working from home

As I write this, we are embarking upon the … well, we’ve lost track of how many weeks we’ve been working from home now!  Restrictions may be easing for some but for millions of people across the region, country and globe, working remotely is set to continue.  

If you’ve spent lockdown working whilst sat on the sofa, or using your bedroom dressing table, or if you’ve just been sat incorrectly, you’re not alone and if you’re experiencing back and neck pain, you’re not alone in that either.  It’s becoming obvious that many people hurriedly set up their workstations or work areas at the beginning of lockdown, perhaps thinking (and hoping) that lockdown would be short lived, and they haven’t moved.  Many of them are now paying the price. 

It’s easily done – you perch on the sofa for a quick five minutes and then before you know it, that’s become your ‘office’ for the day.  Your body is contorted, you’re frequently shifting around to find a comfortable position, rearranging cushions and the like when it would be more beneficial if you took the time to set up your workstation properly. 

Here are five things that you can do today to help you work more comfortably and avoid injury.

• Buy an ergonomic chair.  You might have heard the word ‘ergonomic’ being bandied around and be wondering what it means.  Ergonomic means that it’s flexible – you can change the seat height, the arm rests, the back of the chair to provide you with the support you need.  If someone else borrows your chair, make sure you check that it hasn’t been tampered with when it comes back to you!  But they’re very easy to adjust if it isn’t quite as you like it so don’t worry!  We stock a wide variety of office seating on our website to suit everyone.  

• The desk.  No, we’re not telling you to rush out and buy a desk (although we do have some!) as we’re sure that you have a flat surface in the form of a desk, table or breakfast bar already that you can use.  Remember that your monitor or screen should be about an arm’s length away and at eye-level or just below.  You can buy a monitor stand or arms if you need –  if it’s at the wrong height, it could lead to neck problems.  The brightest light source should be to the side. 

• Think about how you’re sitting. Your ergonomic chair must support your spinal curves and your feet must be able to rest flat on the floor or on a footrest.  Your thighs should be parallel with the floor and your knees should be in line with your hips.  The chair’s armrests should be positioned so that your arms rest loosely on them, allowing your shoulders to be relaxed and not hunched.  Don’t cross your legs or ankles, don’t sit on a leg or foot.  Make your self comfortable for work not watching Netflix! 

• Do you need anything else?  Do you need a footrest, better lighting?  Do you need to change the room so that you’re not twisting to the printer or stretching for the mouse?  These seemingly small changes can make a big difference to your comfort and therefore your body.

• Stretch!  Get up!  Move about!  This is really important for your eyes, your body and for your brain – moving around helps creativity and productivity.

We can’t stress enough how much an ergonomic chair will help you focus at work which will boost your productivity!  It’ll also allow you to avoid injuries which means that when the working day is over, you can still enjoy exercise, or watching Netflix, pain free!