5 Things To Make Your Home Office More Comfortable

It is no secret that the pandemic has affected businesses in almost every industry, as employees find themselves having to stay home to work or recover from the common flu. Working from home can be an effective way to deal with these issues, as long as you take steps to ensure that your home office is ergonomically sound – otherwise, you may run the risk of developing lower back pain or other postural problems. In fact, a survey revealed that 71% of employees who are working from home have developed conditions such as back and neck pain, poor posture, headaches and more.

To work from home both functionally and healthily, it is therefore important to design your workspace in a way that will eradicate these issues. In this blog, we will share a few tips to help you improve your ergonomics at home.

To start off, select a height-adjustable desk which allows you to sit or stand while working. Next, choose a chair that comes with armrests and lumbar support. Your computer monitor should be at eye level, or lower. Finally, opt for lighting which does not strain your eyesight. You can also place floor mats to help decrease pressure on your feet and spine.

Now, let’s do a deep dive into what you can do in order to create the perfect work-from-home setup.

1. Selecting the Right Chair

The human body was not designed to sit for hours at a time, which is why you should look for proper ergonomic design when selecting a chair. Avoid using chairs that force you into an awkward position or with minimal support. You want to maintain proper spinal alignment without feeling sore after long hours of sitting. Try positioning it close to your work surface so that you can keep your back straight as you type. This helps prevent lower back pain down the line.

2. Positioning the Monitor

A great way to improve monitor ergonomics is through height adjustment: you should consider purchasing a stand or riser that allows you to adjust your monitor at different heights. This is useful because it keeps your head level as well as promotes good eye contact with other people when doing video conferences. Your arms should also remain at about 90 degrees throughout typing, though you may need additional support for smaller monitors on small desks.

3. Choose the Best Lighting

Working from home could often lead to a situation where you are indoors for days. This deprives your body of the essential Vitamin D as well as impacting your circadian rhythm. This can be fixed by setting a scheduled 30-minute walk, or at the very least, sitting in front of a light for about 30 minutes each day. Light therapy, or phototherapy, uses bright lights that mimic sunlight and effectively trick your brain into thinking it’s already daytime. This sends signals to your body to regulate mood and behaviour, including sleep patterns.

Choosing the right kind of light will make you more productive and comfortable. Avoid cool fluorescent bulbs that emit harsh lighting that can strain your eyes and make you feel tired. Opt for warm halogen bulbs that are close to natural daylight and place less strain on your eyes.

4. Give Yourself Space

Having a cleaner and well-organised space keeps you from feeling stressed. It is also good to ensure that the space is just used for work and is not prone to constant interruptions from family and others. Add some pops of colour or accents to your desk, such as a small pot of succulent. When your workspace is pretty and welcoming, you will naturally feel better, too.

5. Get Help from Chiropractors for Your Back Pain

Despite the best precautions and efforts, prolonged working from home may still lead to lower back or neck pain. As such, you may need to seek professional treatments to relieve you of such problems. At Equilibrio Chiropractic, our trained chiropractors in Singapore can help you alleviate, treat, and manage these painful conditions. Whether you are suffering from lower back pain or even finger pain due to constantly typing away on the keyboards, our team of experts will perform diagnostic assessments including visual posture checks, spinal palpation, and range of motion exams to pinpoint the cause and location of chronic pain within your body.

Book a consultation with us to find out more about your pain management options.