Pictured is an example of what not to do! Laptops and decorative chairs are not considered ergonomic.
Does your job require a lot of screen-time? Do you feel fatigued at the end of your day? If so, this post is for you!
During the COVID-19 crisis, many of us are working from home now. With this, come challenges to create the most productive and user-friendly workspace. Design details are a part of everything we do, and ultimately have the ability to make our lives easier and more comfortable!
We have put together some tips to help you create a fabulous WFH environment, and our TOP 4 Favorite Products or Methods that we use daily. Some of these tools are investment items, but your shoulders, back, and eyes will thank you later!
1. Keyboard Tray
A keyboard tray is so important because it allows your arms and shoulders to be in a restful position. Keyboards should not be placed on the desktop because this places strain on shoulders and wrists. This is one of the most common causes of back pain at the end of a workday. The Humanscale 6G System, White 900 Board And High Clip Mouse is our favorite because of its customizable properties for your body. It allows you to raise and lower the keyboard to the proper height, and even has a dial to adjust to your wrist angle. The raised mouse pad can swivel in or out as you need for optimal proximity to the keyboard.
2. Monitor Arm or Height Adjustable Monitor
Monitor arms or adjustable monitors prevent us from squinting our eyes to see the computer screen, and hunching over hurting our necks and backs. They allow for the screen to be viewed at eye level and to be viewed closer or farther away, as needed. Another plus - they free up a lot more desk space by floating above the writing surface! The height adjustable monitor we are using is LG’s 27”LED Monitor Model No. 27UD69P-W. If you are in the market for a monitor arm, we recommend Humanscale’s M2.1 for a regular lightweight monitor or MFlex for multi-monitor configurations.
3. Task Chair
If you’re like me, you appreciate a trendy-looking chair; but most of the time, these are not considered the most ergonomic chairs for your back. It is tempting to just grab a kitchen chair or something around the house to use. However, a good task chair will make all the difference in your work. We recommend the Cherryman Eon Task Chair. If you are looking for an investment item, the Herman Miller Embody Chair, designed by Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber, is considered the “Cadillac” of task chairs. A close second is the Herman Miller Aeron Chair, designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. While sitting in your task chair, think about how you would sit back watching television! The proper way should be relaxed with your back completely against the chair for optimal comfort and back support, and feet touching the ground.
4. Natural Daylight
Last but not least, is natural daylight and access to views. Daylight has proven to decrease drowsiness, increase productivity, and increase worker satisfaction. According to PR Newswire, Cornell University Professor Alan Hedge conducted a study and found that, “Workers in daylit office environments reported an 84 percent drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision symptoms, which can detract from productivity.” When working on a computer screen, access to views allows the eyes to rest from fatigue. While increasing the natural daylight in your space, also be sure to locate your screen as to minimize glare from daylight and decrease eye fatigue.
Thanks for taking time to read this post! If you have any personal favorite workspace tools you’d like to share, please leave a note in the comment section below! Also, if you would like for us to help design your workspace, please let us know!
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