5 Ways to Make Your Office Desk More Ergonomic

Autonomous|Feb 3, 2021

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When you work in an office, you spend a considerable amount of time in a sitting position each work day. If something is amiss about how you sit or arrange your workspace, this could lead to undesirable consequences. There's no way to overstate the importance of having great, personalized office desk ergonomics. In this article, you can find five great key tips to get you on the right path to proper desk ergonomics. There are some simple and large changes you can make.

The Impact of Poor Ergonomics in Your Office Space

Good desk ergonomics are important no matter what kind of office you have. This covers what kind of desk and chair setup you have, how the office is the arrangement, how you sit, and the placement of materials and objects that you commonly use. There has been a lot of research on the impact of improving workplace ergonomics on staff productivity. When you don't have an optimal office and desk setup, several problems can arise. Here are a few examples:

Poor posture
Back and neck aches
Muscle strain and fatigue
Inability to focus
Lack of productivity

When these issues are not addressed promptly, the repercussions can become serious. On the other hand, making your workspaces more ergonomic can lead to a whole host of benefits as far as your health, wellness, and work is concerned.

Tips for Making Your Office Desk More Ergonomic

It’s now time to look at five important ways to improve your computer desk ergonomics. Some of these are easy to achieve and only require some repositioning. In some cases, you may need to consider investing in some new office furniture items or redesigning the whole office layout.

Step 1: Find Your Natural Posture

Poor posture can affect your health adversely. It can cause problems with your nervous system and your bladder, not to mention the more common back and neck ache issues that arise.

Figuring out how to sit or stand with good posture can be a process, but it is worth it. It takes some effort to learn what your ideal natural posture is. When you are sitting at your desk, you should be relaxed and comfortable but also alert. Avoid slouching forward or to one side, but lean back slightly.

Step 2: Keyboard and Mouse Placement

Another aspect of proper desk ergonomics is the placement of your keyboard and mouse. This is important to prevent aches and strain in your arms and wrists. Ideally, you should position your elbows in an L-shape when you are typing at your desk. You should move the keyboard and mouse to a position where this is possible without causing too much inconvenience.

Step 3: Position Your Screen(s)

How you position your computer screens and monitors also matters if you are to achieve computer desk ergonomics. If your screen or screens are too near or too far away from you, you might have to strain your neck and eyes. You never want to have a screen too close to your eyes as this can be damaging. Once you have found the perfect distance to have your screen from your face, you should remember it and strive to maintain it.

Step 4: Adjust That Chair

The best chairs for proper desk ergonomics are ones that you can adjust. For example, the ErgoChair Pro is an ergonomic chair from Autonomous that allows you to adjust the armrest, headrest, armrest, back tilt angle, tension, seat tilt, and height to your personal comfort and preference.

Once you have an adjustable chair, you can figure out how best to sit at it and adjust it for an ergonomic sitting posture. The best position for good desk ergonomics depends on your height and the height of your desk.

Step 5: Get Up and Move

Once you have completed all of the four tips presented already, you now have better computer desk ergonomics. You have reduced your chances of health risks such as poor posture, backaches, and other aches and pains. You have also made changes that can help you work more effectively and efficiently.

Having said that, many office workers have a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. This is the result of spending much of the workday and the evenings in a sitting position. Even if you have found the perfect posture and sitting position, you must always make physical activity and exercise time.

So, don't sit in your chair for too long. Be sure to schedule occasion walk or stretch breaks interspersed between bursts of focused work. This can help to keep you refreshed, energized, and focused when you need to be.

Pros and Cons of a Standing Desk

Many of the tips above relate to how you position yourself. Switching out your existing desk for a more customizable option is a great idea. Standing office desk ergonomics are much better compared with traditional desks. Here are some of the reasons you should consider a standing desk, such as the SmartDesk Core for improved office desk ergonomics.

There is so much that's great about using a standing desk. If you look at some standing desk reviews, you can see that many users enjoy all that these desks offer. There are even communities of people designing standing desk workouts.

Pros and Cons of a Standing Desk

Sitting and standing options
Easily customizable height
Great for multitasking and can be combined with exercise
Can be moved between rooms easily and quietly

Requires a financial investment
As a new desk, you might need prior approval in a shared office environment

There are no real drawbacks of switching to a standing desk except for the fact that it is a large purchase of a new piece of furniture. However, you can view it as a long-term investment into your own health, work, and productivity.

Conclusion

If you want to enjoy your office work more and reduce some of the effects of a sedentary job, then consider implementing the good desk ergonomics tips provided above. A simple fix such as reorienting your screen or tweaking how you sit can make a huge difference.

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