Working from home is ruining your posture. Here's how to fix it!

We are only a few weeks in to the Covid-19 crisis, and most of the workforce has suddenly found themselves home-based working.

Crucially, change your workstation set up to fix your posture. This will resolve associated musculoskeletal issues you are developing, and improve your performance when working!

Find a workstation

You need a dedicated workspace. This helps you dissociate ‘work’ from ‘home’, and also enables you to concentrate on improving your posture.

First things first, find a desk and chair. No working from the sofa!

It might not be pretty, it might not be convenient, but it will do the job for now.

Convert the dining table, procure one from the kid’s room or clear a dressing table - whatever you can get.

The laptop…

Typically you will find yourself confined to a company laptop - the worst thing for long term posture. If you have a desktop PC at home, plug the monitor, keyboard and mouse into the laptop to enable you to have a standard computer set up.

Alternatively, create a make shift laptop raise accompanied by an external keyboard & mouse. Ideally the top of the screen should be eye level, which therefore means external input devices are necessary.

50/10 rule

Not even the ‘perfect’ workstation set up will protect you from the postural conformaties of a chair.

Set a timer to ensure you get up every 50 minutes, and have 10 minutes away from the workstation.

You could do this during a phone call, get yourself a drink or have a toilet break. Even better, have a stand up/lie down and do some stretches for 10 minutes.

Research shows you are more productive over 50 minutes by incorporating the 50/10 rule, so you get more done in less time!

The phone…

Avoid holding the phone between your shoulder and ear whilst typing. Use a handsfree kit, headset, headphones or loudspeaker.

Keep clutter free

A clear workspace is a happy workspace. Keep the area where you work, and the room you work in, tidy and clean. If you have a busy desktop on your computer, consider moving everything into a single folder on there.

Next steps

Putting these suggestions into action will improve your own health, wellbeing and productivity when working.

Take responsibility for your own health and ensure you are implementing these preventative interventions. Additionally reflect on your own personal circumstances to identify further improvements you can make.