If you are spending hours working at the office while sitting, you must know how painful it can get. Many people even face serious consequences later on, such as back pain, compromised posture, chronic pains, etc. Some people also start experiencing repetitive strain injury (RSI) from an improper sitting position. So, if you haven’t thought of making your office space ergonomic, it is high time that you do so. Here’s how you can do an ergonomic makeover for your office space. This guide is mainly focusing on the traditional sit-down workspace and how you can bring the change in it.
Type of hardware you need in office
To have an ergonomic makeover for your office space, you only need to make minor changes in your office. Here’s how you should position your office hardware for an ergonomic office space.
Office chair
You don’t always need to spend a huge amount of money to have an ergonomic office chair. Of course, you can invest in your comfort, but there are many alternatives too. You can upgrade your old office chair with some DIY fixes. The list of features that your chair should have are as following:
- A comfortable seat: The most basic thing you require in an ergonomic office space is a comfortable place to sit. Get the seat of your chair assembled with good fabric or soft cushion.
- Adjustable seat and backrest height: Your chair should not only be adjusted up and down but angle wise also. It will reduce the pressure on the back.
- Lumbar support: The back of your chair should have lumbar support. It is because the backs are slightly curved, and the back of the chair also needs to be of such kind. You can DIY by putting a towel or cushion behind your back.
Office desk
Along with your chair, your office desk also needs to be set up in a way that gives you maximum comfort. Following is the list of things you need to focus while setting up your office desk:
- Mouse and keyboard position: For an ergonomic makeover for your office space, place your mouse on the keyboard tray. Also, place your keyboard and mouse at the height where you use them.
- Monitor: In an ergonomic office space, you should point about 2-3 inches down from the top of the monitor casing to be at eye level.
- Desk height: Your desk height needs to be according to your height, and you should adjust the desk height accordingly.
Efforts that you need to make
For making your office space ergonomic, you also have to bring some changes to your everyday routine. You have to pay full attention to these following lists of things to create an ergonomic office space:
- Posture: You have to take care of your posture while you sit, stand, and work in the office. Make sure that you don’t slouch unnecessarily on your back.
- Take breaks in-between: Do not continuously keep on sitting, and working. To avoid pain,take short breaks in between and walk around for 5-10 minutes.
- Avoid eye strain: Look away from your monitor for a few seconds to relieve your eyes. Also, set up your monitor at the right position to minimize the glare.