Ergonomic Basics for Working from Home

Chair

  • Ensure you sit back in your chair and allow the backrest to support the natural curvature of your spine – Use a small pillow if necessary
  • The height of your chair should be adjusted to allow your elbows to be at a 90-degree angle when keyboarding
  • If rising your chair prevents your feet from touching the floor, use a footrest, or a good size textbook to give you that solid support
  • Your armrests should not interfere with your typing tasks. Lower them if possible so that your shoulders and neck are in a relaxed and natural position

Monitor

  • If your monitor is at the perfect height, your eyes should be within the top 1/3 of your monitor
  • You should be able to, from a sitting position touch both sides of your monitor edges with your fingers – without having to lean to reach it. It should also not be any closer than your arm’s length away

Keyboard and Mouse

  • Your keyboard should be centered to your body and close to the edge of your desk
  • Your keyboard and mouse should always be on the same surface
  • Your mouse should be within easy reach, without having to over extend your arm to reach it

Posture

  • It is important to have your knees at 90 to 100-degrees  when sitting in your chair
  • Your torso should be in an upright position and supported by the chair – be careful not to slouch
  • Your head and neck should be in line with your torso – essentially your ears are directly over your shoulders

Micro-Breaks

It is vital to move as often as possible throughout your work day. Sitting too long can add stress to your body and lead to sore muscles and stiff joints.

Micro-breaks, which are only about 2 minutes long, are used for quick stretches and standing and should happen every hour