This article lists set by step instructions for how to set up your office work space and has lots of exercises to help your body to feel more comfortable and balanced.
Carpal Tunnel, back pain, and a host of other musculo-skeletal disorders account for nearly 70 million physician office visits in the United States annually, and an estimated 130 million total health care costs. Hence, a proper work station set up is CRUCIAL in the defense and prevention of musculo-skeletal injuries. Even the most fit and healthy of us are prone to getting pain when we work in a station that is not ergonomically designed and set up to fit our dimensions.
There are 2 main ways we can combat and prevent pain in the workplace. 1 is changing the way we organize and use ourselves (our habits and patterns), the other is changing the ergonomic design of the workplace around us so it is “Custom Fit!”
This chapter will be a quick cliff notes version of every thing you need to know to set up a basic computer work station.
We all have different anthropometric measurements (limb length, width, height, etc.), no one set up is going to fit every individual. Hence, adjustability is key! It is crucial to adjust the workplace to the height, width, dimensions and job tasks of the individual.
Sitting
As you read this, ask yourself honestly, how are you sitting?
Is your head rounded or protruding forward? Or is your sitting more militant and erect?
Are you experiencing any low back or neck tightness and discomfort?
And how is your breathing? What parts of yourself are breathing?
It is perfectly normal in today’s day and age to be unaware of your posture. Unfortunately most people sit in ways that make their bodies work harder than they need to.)
If office workers perch forward towards the edge of the chair when performing a static repetitive job (which is common with “type A” computer users), this may indeed look anatomically “straight” yet most likely they are inhibiting their breath, particularly in their chest, and over contracting the muscles of their low back in order to stabilize the torso.
If someone slouches when they sit, the low back (one of the bodies largest and strongest muscle groups) will get underutilized as the movement of the lumbar spine will be restricted.
Photo pelvis slid way forward, seat back tilted way back, Seat pan too short, and bearing weight on 1 hip more than the other.
When one slouches when they sit, the medial inferior border of the shoulder blade (scapula) will “wing” away from the torso (thorax), and alter the angle of the entire shoulder complex. The forward rounding of the head and neck will require excessive contraction of the posterior neck muscles to counterbalance it’s gravitational pull. With slouched and rounded forward sitting, breathing muscles will become compromised, back muscles will become less available to assist with movement and all arm movements will require excessive effort.
In ideal upright sitting, the vertebra are aligned and almost no muscular or passive forces from ligaments are needed. That means the amount of intervertebral pressure + the amount of muscle effort is at a minimal.
In the spine there are 29 vertebrae stacked from our head to “tail.” You can see how the shape of the vertebral column actually forms an “S.” shape. Like pieces of a puzzle, each vertebral bone is formed in size and shape to snap perfectly into this shape.
However, due to the way we use ourselves from day to day, often this position changes shape. When we go to bat at a baseball or pick up a pencil from the floor, the spine needs to bend, twist and rotate accordingly.
However, when we’re sitting doing sustained and static work it’s critical that we maintain as close to this position as possible for the health of all associated structures, and for the optimal use of all the muscles in our body.
In other words, the inter-vertebral pressure between each bone will be at a balanced and optimal state.
A typical slouched posture requires less muscular effort which is the reason why many people find more comfort in this position. Yet, the maligned intervertebral pressure will provide more compression and constrictions around nerves, tendons, and arteries, and the associated muscles will be at a disadvantaged state.
Sitting exercise to find good sitting balance
Sit up nice and tall in a chair with no back support and poof your chest out as mimicking an upright military sitting posture. This may be your instinctual sitting posture when asked to sit up tall. This is an example of good inter-vertebral alignment and pressure, yet too much muscular effort. Notice how inhibited your breathing muscles are, particularly in your chest, and feel how much muscle contraction is occurring in your low back.
Now try the opposite sitting posture, slouching. Allow your back to round and your pelvis to tilt back as your head roles slightly forward of your torso. What is happening here to your breath and the amount of muscular effort throughout your body?
For optimal sitting, the S-shaped curve of the spine must be maintained. Whenever the inward curve of the low back is lessened or lost (and the back nears a “C” shape), or when it is overly pronounced forward as in a lordotic curve (pronounced inward curve of the 5 lumbar vertebrae), pressures and tensions will build quickly. This can be a precursor to back, neck, and upper extremity problems.
It is crucial that the lumbar area of your back is properly supported when sitting. Some chairs lack lumbar support, and other chairs you may find the lumbar support is not in the optimal position for you. Most ergonomic chairs have adjustable lumbar supports, so you can adjust the back support accordingly.
If your chair is not adjustable, you can improvise by adding an external lumbar support. A variety of lumbar supports available online and even in department stores are available. You can even improvise with a small towel rolled up and inserted into your lumbar region. However, with many of these options it’s often difficult to have the supports remain in place. Do the best you can to secure whatever back support you use to your chair with strong velcro or a strap if possible. It is unnecessary to have any area above your lumbar region supported against the back of the chair as this will only inhibit the glide of your shoulder blade. Your upper back region should be free to assist with all movements of the arm such as reaching for your mouse or phone or even for typing.
When the lower curves of your spine are supported in their neutral alignment all your vertebrae will then stack one on top of the other for a more upright and aligned posture. Your head will then be fully supported over your pelvis.
Because we are so frequently leaning, reaching and rounding forward, it is important to stretch ourselves in the opposite direction. To stretch in sitting, if your chair has a back tilt mechanism unlock it, and lean back in your chair with your arms extending freely over your head. Let your back and neck relax into extension as you take 2 or 3 deep full breathes. Make sure that the back tilt mechanism is locked when working!
Chair Height
The height of the chair is significant for if the chair is too high and your heels are unable to rest solidly on the floor, it will increase the pressure on the nerves and structures on the back of your thighs which could compromise the blood circulation and nerve conduction of your lower extremities. Also, if your feet lack sufficient contact with the floor it will effect the ground forces or velocity that is transmitted from the ground up through your feet to the rest of your body; crucial for optimal static and dynamic sitting.
To figure out the proper height of your chair, with your feet roll the chair forward and backwards, left and right several times. That’s right, do a little chair dance.
Notice how much effort it takes from your legs to move the chair. Then lower the chair a small amount and do this same “chair dance.” Is it easier or harder to move the chair from this height? If it is easier, go a bit lower and repeat the same exercise. If it is harder, raise the chair a little above the point it was initially at.
Keep with this inquiry until you find the height that requires the least amount of effort to move the chair. Optimal height of your chair will have a 90-110 degree angle at your knees, or your hips will be just slightly higher than your hips. (end)
Exercise to find Upright Sitting posture & Balance between sit bones:
To find your optimal sitting posture, perform this simple exercise:
Sit towards the front half of your chair. Notice if your legs are held close together or wide apart.
Notice as you sit, are you sitting more one 1 sit bone than on the other???? Gently roll your pelvis forward so your weight shifts to the front of your sit bones, then gently roll it back, so you feel the weight shift to the back of each sit bone. Do this several times. You may notice your head rises up as you roll forward, and it lowers as you roll back. Stop when you find the spot in the middle of these two extremes, where your weight is equally balanced between the two bony prominences known as your sit bones (or ischial tuberosities).
Gently rock your weight onto your right sit bone, then rock it to the left sit bone. Do this several times. Then stop in the middle so you are sitting more or less on the heads of both sit bones. Congratulations. You have now found the optimal position of your pelvis when seated for office work.
Next, scoot back into your chair until you feel the back of your pelvis hitting the back of your chair. Make sure the lumbar support of the chair fits directly into the small of your back. If you are uncertain where this is, touch your low back with the back of your hand and feel if the inward curve of the chair contacts you there.
To ensure that you are sitting on the heads of your pelvis (if you have a tendency to roll your pelvis sightly backwards-i.e. slouch) is to roll up a small wash cloth and position it just behind your 2 sit bones. This will help to position your pelvis in a more neutral alignment as it rolls your pelvis ever so slightly forward, minimizing the amount of muscle effort and maximizing spinal alignment.
The heel pad and ischial tuberosities are well adapted for a good deal of pressure. However, the wrist, elbow and tail bone easily become irritated with a lot of pressure.
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Do your shoulders and neck feel sore by the end of your work day???
The first question to ask yourself is if either your Arm Rests of your chair or your desk is raised up too high that it’s causing you to hike up your arms and shoulders shoulders when your working?
Arm Rests
I typically recommend lowering armrests so they are below the height of the elbow and out of the way. However, for some people, (i.e., hunt and peck typists, people with severe arm pain or even individuals with larger builds), using arm rests may be significantly more comfortable.
(Special tips-on side column in shade of reddish pinking orange tint)If you are using the armrests, it is recommended that they are in line with the height of the table to avoid hitting or resting on the sharp edge of the desk, yet make sure they are not limiting you from scooting in close enough to the table. Lastly, make sure there is a significant amount of padding on your chair armrest to minimize pressure areas.
C7/T1 is the fulcrum of cervical rotation. When cervical rotation and slight side bending is sustained overtime in connection with shoulder elevation and repetitive movements of the arm (such as when one turns and reaches to the right to mouse or talk on the phone) it can lead to a stiff neck, tightness in the scalene muscles, and it may even pinch a nerve and effect blood, lymph and nerve conduction.
In this scenario, there is a shortening of muscles on one side of the neck and a lengthening on the other causing the neck muscles to consistently work to counterbalance the effects of gravity and find stability. If a muscle is even slightly rotated or twisted it will be weakened. Tightness in the scalenes or muscles on the right side of the neck are so common and here’s a bit of the reason why.
Most computer users have their shoulder and upper trapezium muscles raised up, not only when they are working, but even at rest. This not only decreases the size of the “tunnel” where nerves and arteries travel through down to the arm, but it also sets up an unconscious pattern of over firing or overworking around this region, despite the fact that no work is required. When a person habitually over contracts their upper trapezius, they will also over contract the neighboring muscles of the cervical spine, such as the scalene and to a lesser degree the levator scapulae.
Exercise to relax your shoulders/Upper Trapezium Region
Rest your arms and hands on your lap. Inhale and very slowly raise one of your shoulders up towards your ear, exhale and allow it to role gently back and down. Do this one or two more times slowly slowly (with your eyes closed), each time allowing it to lower just a little bit more. Then pause and notice if 1 shoulder feels lower than the other??
If it doesn’t then tightly contract that same shoulder up towards that ear and hold it tight…tighter….tighter for 7 seconds. Then let it go completely.
(This 1st exercise is also great to do lying down on your back with a towel roll placed between your 2 shoulder blades.)
Throughout your work day perform this exercise to retrain your body to work with your shoulders and upper trapezium in it’s relaxed and lowered position. Your breathing will be more free and your entire shoulder complex will function more optimally.
(special note on Right?)Your elbows should not be more than a couple of inches in front of your torso when performing office work. And, make sure they are not abducted too far away from your torso either as this will result in excess work in your upper arms and shoulders.
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/index.html-something similar to this.
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Zones of comfort:
Ideally you want to spend a majority of your work day using your arms in their primary zone of comfort:
This is where your body functions most efficiently and uses the least amount of effort needed for the task. This is where you want your arms to function for as much of your work day as possible, with the exception of stretches and breaks. Be sure to position your keyboard, mouse and any other frequently used items in this region.
(As defined by OSHA, (Occupational T ) this zone is for repetitive usage only…..Should I include this anywhere?)
To find your Primary zone of reach, hold a full water bottle or a 2 lb, weight in 1 hand. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees while holding the weight. Make a small circle in the area where you sense the most arm comfort. This is your primary zone.
Then double the size of this circle. Feel how the weight of the item you are holding doubles or triples. This is your secondary zone where items should be accessed only occasionally.
Lastly, make a circle with the weight, as wide as the full length of your arm. Feel how the weight of this item feels like it has increase 4 or 5 times if not more. And, notice where you can feel the pounds of pressure in your shoulder, neck and upper back. This far of a reach into the tertiary zone should be accessed very seldomly throughout the work day.
In fact, anytime a task is required in the tertiary zone, if possible, stand and physically move your body, to minimize the amount of arm reach. Good body mechanics means that you are working in your range of comfort, and your sternum and belly button are facing in the direction of your work. Minimize twisting and reaching while performing tasks. Strive to perform 90-95% of your work day within your zone of comfort.
If your ergonomic set up does not allow this, then more frequent stretch breaks will be recommended to counterbalance the excess stress on your joints and muscles and it becomes even more important that you incorporate your lower body and pelvis.
Keyboard & Mouse
The traditional keyboard has 2 mini “kickstands” or legs in the back and a numeric 10 key pad located on the right. Most often, the mouse is positioned to the right of the keyboard which often results in an excessive amount of right arm abduction to access the mouse.
If you do not use your numeric 10 keys and are willing to alternatively use the number keys at the top of the keyboard, consider purchasing a “mini” keyboard or one without the 10 keys. You can purchase a flat mini keyboard, or a split keyboard such as the gold touch or kinesis.
The split in the keyboard helps to provides a neutral arm and hand position.
To find the amount of split best suited for you, perform this simple exercise.
With your upper arms relaxed, bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Have your thumbs facing up. Very gently rotate your forearms so your palms face up towards the ceiling. As your doing this, close your eyes and go very slow so you can sense the amount of pull or stretch throughout your arm. Then rotate your arms the opposite way towards pronation or palms facing down towards the floor. Feel the pull once again in this position. Go back and forth a few times between supination and pronation to find the position with the least amount of pull throughout your arm. This is where these muscles will function most optimally . Adjust the split of your keyboard to this angle.
If you do use the 10 keys, considering altering the position of the mouse from the right to the left side from time to time, especially if you have right arm or hand pain. If you are a right handed mouser, there may be a slight learning curve to properly maneuver the mouse with your left hand, yet, the benefits will be vast.
(special note-rt side column)There is a setting on your computer to convert your right handed mouse to a left handed one. Go to the “control panel,” click on “mouse.” From there you can switch the right and left button functions on the mouse.
The most important thing about mousing (that you may have not been taught in school) is to fully drape your fingers over the top of the mouse buttons, and completely relax the palm of your hand over the face of the mouse. Allow the natural arches of your hand and curves of your fingers to be completely supported.
To find this neutral hand posture, simply drop your arms by your side and notice the crescent or “C” shape your fingers will naturally assume (if they are at rest). Notice if your wrist falls straight. This is your neutral finger and wrist position. Although there is variation from person to person, a neutral wrist posture is from -5 to -15 degrees.
Maintaining a neutral wrist posture is paramount. If your wrist is flexed as you work it results in a shortening of the flexor and a lengthening of the extensor muscle groups of the arm. The opposite is true when you work with your wrist in extension. Both extremes place your muscles in a more weakened position and could, overtime, affect ligament laxity and range of motion.
When you mouse, you only really need to drop your fingers DOWN to click the buttons, rather than reaching your fingers up or straight. These are habits most typists have and aren’t even aware of.
The same rule applies for keyboarding. Most computer users habitually hyperextend one or more digits (fingers), actively engaging them unnecessarily. In actuality, it’s only the fingers needed for the task that should be actively engaged.
When certain fingers are consistently held in extension, the extensor muscles of the fingers and hand end up working overtime when they could otherwise be resting. This unconscious and unnecessary habit can result in tightness around the back of the forearm.
Notice what happens with your pinky and other fingers as you type. Consider having someone video you for 1 minute.
Keyboard
When the back legs of the keyboard are propped up, this encourages an upward reach or extension of your fingers. A solution to this is lowering the back legs of the keyboard so it sits flat on the table. Also, if you use a keyboard platform, you can angle it so the back of it is tilted downwards. This is known as a “negative tilt” of the keyboard platform.
If the mouse is too small to fully support the concave shape of one’s hand, a larger and more contoured mouse might be suggested. By contour I mean the mouse fits the natural curves and arches of the hand. Often, the support under the index finger is slightly higher than that of the pinky.
Laptop
Looking down for sustained periods of time while viewing a laptop monitor will result in a great deal of neck flexion and could eventually lead to posterior neck strain and pain. It may also compromise the posture of your arms if your shoulders and forearms are elevated to reach the keyboard.
Hence, If you work out of a laptop, continuously or for more than 2 to 3 total hours per day, it is highly recommended that you get a laptop riser to elevate your screen and use an external mouse and keyboard. As a low cost option, you can use a large 3 ring binder to raise your monitor or simply stack it on books.
However, when you raise the laptop up on a table or riser, your arms will be compromised and eventually become overworked.
If you are like me and frequently use your laptop while laying in bed or on a couch, position your spine as straight as possible using two pillows to position your upper back, neck and head keeping them all inline. (avoid the hyper flexed neck). Keep your upper arms supported while maintaining a 100-110 degree angle at your elbows, and neutral wrists and fingers.
The keys of a laptop have a shorter travel distance and require less force to generate a keystroke. Hence, remind yourself that you can type quite softly using a minimal amount of muscle effort.
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Document Holder
If you frequently look down and to the side to review documents and reading material then you may benefit from a document holder to keep your head and neck more neutral and centered. If you have a keyboard tray, then I would recommend an adjustable 18” document holder (3M makes a great one) to position between your keyboard and monitor.
If your keyboard and mouse are positioned on your desk, then position the document holder approximately the same height and distance as the monitor to assist with visual tracking, minimizing the need to re-focus when scanning between the documents and the screen.
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Monitor
Aside from the sitting considerations mentioned above, I believe there are two other reasons why so many computer workers lean or perch forward so frequently.
The first has to do with focal distance, and the second is due to the work hard fallacy.
Optimal Viewing Distance
Although most of us are unaware of our optimal focal (or focusing) distance, we often automatically position our bodies and heads at this viewing distance anyways.
However, we often do this at the cost of our own bodies as we perch towards the edge of the chair and lean forward to view the monitor.
The better solution is to adapt the environment to the person rather than the person to the environment. That means scooting the chair in as close to the desktop as possible for comfortable keyboard/mouse usage (to avoid excessive reaching) first, and then adjusting the monitor distance.
After your chair is set up appropriately, play around in the inquiry of bringing the monitor several inches closer to you while viewing text on the screen and then much further away. (It is easier to have someone else move the monitor while you sit in your typing position).
In each extreme, notice the subtleties of how much the muscles of your eyes and face have to work to read the text on the screen. Then find the distance where you have the most comfort, softness and relaxation in your eyes and face while keeping your head positioned over the pelvis. This will be your optimal focusing distance when looking at a computer screen.
A majority of desktop monitors are 19”. The smaller the monitor, the closer it should be (and visa versa) unless you adjust the size of the font. As we age our visual acuity decreases.
When reading text on your monitor, your gaze will typically slope approximately 10-15 degrees downward from your eyes towards the screen. Ideally, you want your eyes to land at the base of the upper 1/3rd of the screen. Generally, the top of your head is about the height of the top of the monitor. The important thing to note is that the head is positioned in neutral when reading and viewing the monitor.
If the monitor height is adjustable, then go ahead and set it to the appropriate height. You can add additional height to the screen via a monitor riser or simply by raising it up on books.
Work Hard Fallacy
It seems to be an unconscious belief amongst the working class that more effort =more efficiency. I call this the “work hard fallacy.” Somewhere along our evolution and socialization, we have learned to connect muscle effort with success and proficiency, i.e. the harder we work at our job, the more approval, praise and success we will achieve from our co-workers and peers.
Many of us leaned from a very young age that more effort and work was rewarded with more approval from our caregivers, teachers and peers. The more effort we applied in school helped us to feel like good boys and girls when our efforts were well received.
The posture of the hard working office worker is often one sitting at the edge of the seat, head rounded or protruding forward, eyes glued to the monitor screen, inhibited breathe, and fast and hard typing. When in reality, the office worker who is sitting in a relaxed and composed posture with minimal tension in their body is more likely to be more efficient as her body will be less run down by the day’s end.
The worker who perches forward, tenses their jaw, and has their eyes glued to the monitor, while typing with a great deal of force is by no means more efficient then the person who is sitting in a composed and comfortable posture in their chair, with their jaw, neck and head completely relaxed and their head positioned over their pelvis. (repeated paragraph)
In other words, more muscle effort=less efficiency and productivity. When driving in traffic while running late, it is instinctual to tense, contract, and overuse our muscles. Most of us even use an excessive amount of muscle effort when performing everyday tasks such as walking, brushing our hair, and getting out of bed.
Our minds get tricked into thinking that time moves faster and that we are being more productive when we effort more. Tension and stress narrows attention, and narrowed attention makes time seem faster as the mind is constantly being distracted away from sensing the internal self. This leads to the fallacy that tensing more makes things move faster.
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As humans continue to evolve and spend more and more time in the office gazing at the computer screen, it has become paramount that we end this fallacy and gain more awareness of how we are using our bodies to end the rampant rise of over use injuries.
Here’s a suggestion. As you sit with your head balanced over your pelvis (head over tail), allow the words from the monitor screen to simply float out to meet your eyes rather than you reaching or leaning forward to meet them.
If you spend enough time in that rounded forward posture, the physical and energetic ramifications may carry over to interpersonal interactions. If your body posture and dynamics typically is one of moving more “towards” both physically and energetically, then a suggestion may be to practice softening and allowing. Allow yourself to surrender to the organic rise and flow of the events around you. Allow yourself to let the words from the screen float out to meet you.
If your tendency is of the opposite, passivity and waiting, then, my suggestion would be to take a more proactive stance. This can be initiated in your posture!
In both scenarios, the shift can come from how you position your entire self in relation to your central axis. When sitting with people, notice how their posture affects the way you feel inside. Does sitting with them have you feel more constricted inside, or more open and relaxed? Are they sitting in a way that is constricting their breathing, posture and emotional availability, or is It more balanced, open, and free?
Someone whose head is forward of their pelvis when seated and standing can begin to reposition their head, neck, and upper body over their pelvis. Someone who sits with their chest or upper body sunk back can begin to sit more straight and erect. Someone who presents themselves with their chests poofed out and their shoulders back, can re-position themselves accordingly. If you find you are unable to make these adjustments without excessive effort, the accompanying Feldenkrais lessons will help you with this!!!
I understand, this is easier said than done! Especially as the habits mentioned above have likely been deeply instilled and subcorticalized probably over a course of many years.
Sometimes external positioning devices such as lumbar supports, palm supports or wrist supports can aid. As well as body centered exercises, modalities and therapies that affect the musculoskeletal or neuromuscular systems.
In general, significant postural shifts need to occur simultaneously both at the conscious as well as the subcortical (or unconscious) level.
As you make subtle shifts from within, notice if the interactions around you begin to shift as well in all facets of your life; while you engage with strangers, co-workers, and peers.
This change in body orientation, posture, and perspective can potentially even shift the way you interact with the world at large.
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Glasses:
A majority of people wear one set of glasses, for either near sightedness or farsightedness.
Consequently, when gazing at our monitors, the focal point falls in an intermediate distance between these two extremes.
Computer glasses optimize your eyesight when viewing your computer screen as they are designed to: reduce glare (a major cause of eyestrain), increase contrast, and optimize what you see through the lenses when gazing at the computer screen—making it easier to look at a screen for longer periods of time. The exact optimal focal distance varies slightly between individuals with age being a key factor.
Multi-focal eyeglasses (bifocals, trifocals and progressives) contain two or more lens powers. This is helpful when switching your gaze between close, distant, and intermediate (in between) zone work, however, since the intermediate zone of the glasses is smaller, some computer users find multifocal lenses to be uncomfortable.
Hence, be sure to wear eye glasses that are fit especially for you and your work environment. Your optician can advise you as to what sort of glasses may be best suited for you.
Lighting (unsure about keeping this section. What are your thoughts deb?)
Ideally the monitor should be positioned at a right angle to a window. Backlighting can cause the eyes to overwork which may eventually lead to eye strain, and front lighting can result in glare on the screen.
Reflected light or glare can be very fatiguing to the eyes and reduces the contrast, colors and sharpness of the display. Most LCD monitors now a days have a built in anti-glare screen.
When doing computer or desk work, the general rule of thumb is that the brightest thing in your visual field should be the work you are focused on as your eyes will accommodate to the amount of light entering it. In low light conditions, your pupil will dilate to let more light into the eye (to get to the retina), and when bright light is directed towards the eyes, the pupils will constrict.
When too much light is entering the eye, such as when the back-lighting of the computer is brighter than the screen, the pupil will constrict to accommodate to the brightness, (allowing less light to reach the retina). What this then means is that when viewing the text on the monitor, the muscles which control the size of the pupil will to have to work overtime. This can eventually lead to eye strain and headaches.
A uniform background light source that is as bright or dimmer than the screen is recommended. When reading documents or viewing desktop items, an illuminating task light is ideal unless the overhead light is bright enough to view these items (yet not shining too brightly on the monitor).
If the overhead light is too bright for the monitor, simply unscrew one of the light bulbs.
Other tips to consider include:
~ adjusting the contrast, font size, brightness, and illumination on the monitor.
~ More Frequent blinking as it spreads the tears or lubrication over your eyes. Dry eyes are common with sustained computer use. (whoops repeat this twice)
~Tilt the top of the monitor back a few degrees for easier viewing.
~Have a green plant or flower on your desk (which will release more oxygen) and create a relaxing, and harmonious environment for your eyes.
~Be sure to get your eyes examined regularly. Consider glasses made specifically for computer use.
In general, your eyes are working hard while looking at a monitor for sustained periods of time. Eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches are common for computer workers, yet fully preventable.
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When we choose to set up our work stations more ergonomically and use our bodies more efficiently which includes releasing our physical holding patterns and blocks we will experience more comfort and ease in our bodies and in our lives.
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Sit-Stand workstations are significantly on the rise and have the added advantage of providing desktop adjustibility and additional options for lower back and lower body relief. If one stands for a majority of their day, procurement of an anti-fatigue mat will help reduce discomfort of their low back. If seated on a high stool chair be sure to remove this anti-fatigue mat for easier and safer chair mobility.
Alternating between sitting and standing is ideal. If you have a fixed height standing desk you can sit on a high stool chair (with a high foot rest). If your work surface is hydraulic or adjustable then you can use a standard chair.
After you have found the appropriate height for the table, chair and monitor both in sitting as well as standing, be sure to set, tag, or mark these heights so the adjustments can be made in a timely manner throughout your busy work day.
Please keep in mind, standing options can be quite feasible, and they are not the end all solution for many of us. If you are experiencing lower back, hip, or leg pain when seated for long periods of time at work, spend some time in standing to be sure that this solution actually does decrease the pain before making the costly investment.
Wellness By Shara 