How to Make Your Home Office Comfortable

Facing a handful of challenges that COVID-19 has brought about to this uncertain world requires stamina and wisdom. Even though it's tremendously altering our way of living and casting fear upon us, this pandemic can never stop people who are keen and determined to continue buckling down and reaching the holy grail of success. And without a doubt, you belong to these few people too. 

Conceivably, one of the hurdles that you are currently sparing no effort is the work-from-home setting. This working arrangement may be an advantage for some, but it actually comes with several complications to attend to. One of these difficulties includes the lack of comfort in working.

If working from home is new to you, you can give your home office a makeover to create a safe and comfortable workspace. In what way? An ergonomic setup can do! An ergonomic setup reduces the chances of injury as well as mental and physical stress. It sets the scene for your desired results of maximum efficiency and productive capacity. 

Here are ways to set your home office: 

1. Choose the right chair.  Spending a full day, every day, seated elicits tension in muscles of the lower back and hips. Choose the right chair that supports the inward curve of your spine. You may either purchase an ergonomic office chair on the market or use items available around the house. Lumbar support can be bolstered with folded towels or a lumbar cushion on the market.

2. Work height. Make sure that your desk offers clearance for your knees and thighs. If your desk is adjustable in height, you’re off to a good start since you can bring it to a height to match your seated elbow height. If your available desk is unadjustable, you can follow these tips:

   1. If it's too low: place sturdy boards or blocks under the desk legs.

   2. If it’s too high: raise your chair or place a pad on the seat.

3. Position your monitor properly. Place your monitor directly in front of you about an arm’s length away. The top line of your screen should be at or slightly below eye level to avoid neck pain. Set good lighting from the screen and place your monitor on a comfortable eye level. An adjustable ergonomic desk can help you with this too.

4. Position and use your keyboard and mouse appropriately. Placing your keyboard and mouse in an easy reach and on the same surface can help prevent you from tendon and hand strain injuries. When typing or operating the mouse, make it certain to keep your wrists straight, your arm and hand forward to lay them flat on the desk, your upper arms close to your upper body, and your hands bent out to the side of the midline of your body while using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. These comfy ergonomic designs allow your hands and wrists to lay on their natural positions while working.

5. Have a footrest handy. To achieve an ideal ergonomic posture when at a fixed height desk, a footrest is likely helpful. Alternatively, you can use a small stool or a stack of sturdy stuff to rest your feet.

6. Use computer glasses. To help you protect from the menacing radiation emitted by your monitor, use computer glasses that come with a blue light filter or anti-radiation features. This protects your eyes from fatigues and severe complications.

7. Take frequent and short breaks. Standing, stretching out, walking, and even sipping a cup of coffee while getting yourself green or away from your monitor are effective types of break. Moving from time to time, specifically every 20 minutes, can improve blood circulation, comfort, performance, and physical well being.

Hard-working individuals are exposed to various health risk factors in the workplace, whether it’s in offices or homes. That is why an ergonomic setup plays a huge role in every type of workspace by stimulating a comfortable, safe, and productive work environment, especially during this pandemic. With ergonomic designs, your workspace is safer, your productivity is maximized and the extraneous costs are reduced.