An Ergonomic Workspace: Why You Need One and How to Get It
Has your office embraced permanent work-from-home policies? If you’re going to be working remotely for the foreseeable future, it’s time to upgrade your workspace. The kitchen table, living room couch, or bed that’s been moonlighting as your office isn’t an ergonomic workspace setup. Read on to find out why that’s a bad thing and what you can do to fix it.
Why You Should Consider Rehabbing Your Workspace
For the first year, you might not think much about working hunched over your laptop while sitting in a hard dining room chair. But once this becomes your permanent work setup for multiple years, you’ll start to notice the aches and pains caused by your impromptu office.
Stretching out the kinks can only help so much. After a year and change, repeated strain on your back and wrists can lead to painful medical conditions like tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and even sciatica.
These conditions can rack up monstrous medical bills, especially if you need expensive tests or therapy. Add in medication, and these expenses can be a challenge to cover even if you have insurance. As deductibles and copays rise each year, you may be stuck paying out of pocket for more than you can handle.
If your savings fall short of unexpected medical expenses like lab tests, medication, or doctor’s fees, there are installment loans that can help. A financial institution like MoneyKey offers convenient online applications that are quick and simple to fill out, which means they might suit your urgent medical needs.
It’s nice knowing you have a backup in an emergency, but wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have to deal with unexpected medical expenses in the first place? Not only would it improve your well-being, but it would also mean you wouldn’t have to borrow money.
How to Make Your Home Office Ergonomic
To save your health and budget, check out these tips to create a comfortable and productive home office.
Get Off the Couch or Bed
You probably bought your couch and bed with maximum comfort in mind, but they only feel good when you’re reclined and ready to relax. They don’t give you the support you need while you’re working.
Moving to a desk and chair setup will also help set better work-life boundaries. It’s easier to relax when your couch and bed are no longer associated with the stress of deadlines and meetings.
Focus on Alignment
Whether you buy a new desk and chair or work with what you have, an ergonomic setup hits certain alignment points.
- Lower Body: You want to be able to fit your knees and hips comfortably under your desk. Adjust your chair or use a step stool to make sure your knees are the same height as your hips.
- Upper Body: Your chair should be high enough to align your wrists and elbows when you’re typing or using the mouse.
- Eyesight: Set up your monitor or laptop screen roughly an arm’s length away, and make sure it’s just below your line of sight.
An Ergonomic Space Makes Aches and Pains Go Away
Nothing is worse than trying to work through a crippling migraine or shooting sciatica pain, so don’t wait to make your adjustments. These changes might be subtle, but they’ll make a big difference to your spine, wrists, and budget.
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