Many of us often don’t have proper work-desk arrangements at home, since this telecommuting medium is relatively new to us. Working for long hours in sub-optimal working conditions over a long time can affect our health. Poor posture while working on the laptop could cause musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) such as pain in the neck, back, shoulders, and other issues.  It’s important that we maintain proper posture even while working at home.

Here are some guidelines to keep yourself healthy while working from home!

Adopt the right posture

The right posture keeps you healthy and gives you more energy to work. Try to imitate your working habits in the office to avoid developing other issues such as fatigue, headaches, backache, neck pain, and other MSDs. These conditions will not only affect your productivity, but your mental health as well. Let’s look at some points to remember while working in different ways.

What to remember while sitting on a chair and desk

It may be a good idea to invest in an ergonomic chair and work desk that support different postures throughout the day. The chair should have features such as adjustable seat heights, armrest and backrest adjustments to ensure maximum comfort. It should also have excellent lumbar support that is adjustable for your back.

• Adjust the height of your chair and rest your feet on the floor or the footrest. Bend your knees at 90 degrees to relieve the excess pressure on your back
• Take proper lumbar support to keep your back straight
• Ensure your arms are always supported, either on the desk or the chair armrest. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees while typing on the keyboard
• If you don’t have a chair with good back support, take breaks or change your posture at intervals of 20 minutes.

What to remember while standing and working

It’s also a good idea to stand and work to vary your posture. You can use a storage cabinet as your standing workstation. The more regularly you change your posture, the better you will feel. 

While standing:

• Place your laptop on a hard surface

• Adjust the height of your laptop screen such that the top of the screen is at your eye level

• Don’t slouch or lower your back

• Keep your laptop away from any kind of liquid to prevent spills

What to remember while sitting on the sofa or bed

Working on the bed, sofa or the bean bag can be quite attractive. While it’s okay to use these for a short period, remember not to forget the basics of good posture.

• Place cardboard box or a stand beneath the laptop to keep it steady
• Place cushions behind your back to help you get the right kind of back support
• Adjust the height of the laptop to keep the screen parallel to your eye level
• Avoid slouching or lowering your neck while working

Use your laptop safely

It natural to pick a comfortable spot while working on the laptop at home. Given that you will end up working for long hours, maintaining correct posture becomes crucial. It is recommended that you opt for a laptop stand and set up your system in a way that the screen is raised to the height of your eyebrows. You should also use a wireless mouse and a keyboard, if possible, to keep the screen at arm’s length while typing.

Stay healthy, Stay productive

The current scenario has made working from home the new normal for Indian professionals. As new habits set in and innovative mechanisms emerge to keep work flowing, it is important to be productive and stay healthy.

Also Read: How to Design a Perfect Kitchen

Inputs by Godrej Interio