When you spend all day in an office space that isn’t optimal, you might start becoming aware of some discomforts – a tingling in the fingers here, a stiff neck there or just a general sense of ‘blah’ that begins to slow down your work and sap your enthusiasm. Do not ignore these warning signs. They’re more than a passing annoyance: they’re your body and mind’s way of telling you something’s wrong. One solution is to design a better office environment. Ergonomics are your friend. But if the words ergonomic and office instill fear in your bank account, take heart: a comfortable office need not be expensive. In fact, even if you have to refresh your office furniture and lighting, you can still create a comfortable workspace for well under $1,000. At the end of the day, you want to create a space that is good for your body and allows you to do your best work. Design an office that inspires you – a place where you enjoy spending your days. Because when you are enthusiastic about your home office, when being there makes you feel energized, you’ll find that you’re much more productive – and happier.
Your desk is one of the most important elements of a productive home office – and can be one of the most expensive! Here are some styles to get you thinking. But if you are on a tight budget you can create a great looking desk, with tons of space from a counter top and a couple of trestles, trimmed to the right height. Of course, the key to an ergonomic desk is not cost but physical comfort – the desk’s height, depth, storage, and free space should all fit your height and needs. This simple ergonomic desk calculator can help determine your ideal seat height, sitting elbow height range, and desk depth (eye to screen length). But remember, no mathematical formula is perfect: try out several desks in person to see which best fits your body, work style and office layout. You may also be considering the latest rage in home offices: a sit-to-stand office desk. Standing desks are said to boost productivity and be great for physical wellness but do they really? For many, the simple office chair is the single most important element of an ergonomic and productive office.
Because when you sit for 4, 6, 8 or even 12 hours a day, you stress your spine, neck and back. A good, ergonomic office chair supports your lower back (lumbar region) and encourages good posture. So how do you choose an ergonomic chair? Evaluate your favorite options based on seven basic criteria: seat height, seat depth, seat pan angle, lumbar support, backrest height, backrest angle, and armrests. Most of all, choose a comfortable chair – a chair that you’ll be happy to sit in for 4, 6, 8 or even 12+ hours a day. I know what you’re thinking, an ergonomic computer? Computer selection is up to personal preference, but every computer worker should pay attention to monitor height and keyboard positioning. And that holds true for laptop users, too – if you’re on the computer all day, everyday, then you should think about purchasing an external monitor and keyboard. Here are the two basic rules: Too often, we underestimate the importance of light and sound in the home office environment.
The Cliff’s Notes version is that you want plenty of one and very little of the other – and we’re talking about light and sound, respectively. Your office requires adequate lighting – big, open windows to let in the sun, if possible, and artificial lighting that’s bright enough to see, but not so bright that it creates glare or washes out your computer monitor. As for sound, do your best to reduce background noise. An office door, especially a solid door, goes a long way to eliminating distractions. If additional sound reduction is needed, consider purchasing a white noise machine or buying a white noise/meditation/yoga/nature sounds CD to help you focus on the task at hand. Keep your office clean and fresh – you’d be surprised how much a messy, funky office begins to unconsciously diminish your performance. And you may want to consider a diffuser that emits your favorite inspiring scent to uplift and invigorate, and help you stay mentally fresh. A peppermint based essential oil works great.
Finally, don’t underestimate your own role in creating a comfortable and productive office environment. Even if you have the most ergonomic office on the planet, you’re still at risk for “chair disease.” The only remedy: get up and move! Change your position, adjust your posture and, most importantly, move around often. Grab a cup of coffee or take a quick walk around the house. Do whatever it is you like to do, and be sure to do it every hour or so. You now know the basics of designing an inspiring and ergonomically correct home office. As you make adjustments, assess your office with San Diego State University’s excellent ergonomic self-evaluation; this easy checklist will help you ensure your new office setup won’t cause you any unnecessary physical pain.Now that you are up and running it is essential to determine the correct height of your standing desk in order to maintain the best posture possible. It would be of little essence to use a standing desk should you be slumped into it straining your back, or straining up to reach it, so here we will establish the perfect height of your specific standing desk.
Just to note, if you are looking for details on the proper height for a Treadmill Desk or Bike Desk, don’t worry, the same rules apply. The height of your desk should generally be at elbow height. This means: as your elbows are positioned at a 90 degree angle from the floor, measure the distance from the floor to the bottom of your elbow. The desk should be built to this height. For instance, the average standing desk height for those 5’11” is 44 inches tall, but remember this is guidance and you should consider your body’s proportions before settling on a height. Of course you can always grab an adjustable standing desk if you decide to. An easy way to get the proper height for standing *and* keep your existing desk is by using a Standing Desk Converter. The steps to set your standing desk to the correct height are: Some of you will want to know why… so here are some tidbits: The instructions are exactly the same for using a sit-stand desk or desk converter like the ZipLift, WorkFit, FlexiSpot, or Varidesk.
Luxor 60″ Electric Standing Desk Luxor 48-inch Crank Adjustable Stand Up Desk E-Desk Electric Adjustable Desk When using a standing desk the height of the monitors is important and the distance between your eyes and the monitor is important. You should set the monitors at a height where your eyes are in the top 1/3 to 1/4 of the screen area. This reduces eye strain and prevents tilting your head up or down to compensate. This adjustment in your head has big negatives for your neck over time. Being lower is better than being higher. The focal distance is also important. You want the monitors to be placed around 24 inches away from your eyes. This prevents eye strain from the monitors being overly close and helps you compensate more easily to monitor height if it is slightly too high or too low. If you find that you have to adjust your monitor height when you switch from sitting to standing or to walking then you need to check your back alignment in all three positions… this generally means you are slouching in one or more of those positions but not in others.
If you need help learning good back posture you can consider a posture trainer like the UpLift. The height of your desk is just one aspect of what you need to consider when taking care of your body while standing, walking, or biking. Take care of your feet, knees, and hips by using a mat under your feet. Once you use a mat you’ll wonder how you stood without it. There are two types of mats: “Kitchen Mats” and “Standing Mats” though the names are often mixed up. The one you want is determined by whether you wear shoes while you stand. If you wear supportive shoes then you want a Standing Mat. If you wear slippers, flats, socks or go barefoot then you want a Kitchen Mat. The difference is in the foam used in the mat and the thickness. Standing mats are thinner, accounting for the support that is already present in your shoes. Kitchen mats are thicker and softer and can be made of lower quality foam because of their thickness. A standing mat may change the height setting of your desk, depending on the thickness.