A lot of us are now working from home because of COVID-19. Having worked from home for several years now, I think it’s great because I’ve always advocated for more work from home options. I also can’t hide the fact that I enjoy seeing micromanagers (and taskmasters) finally realising that their people can work just as effectively from home as they can when they’re in the office.
During the first lockdown, people rushed to purchase home office equipment. The downside was that probably most people didn’t have the luxury of being able to buy their first preference due to time constraints or stock availability.
Having a proper set up at home is vital because it’ll help avoid acute pain that can lead to permanent issues down the track.
I’ve enlisted the help of Michael Dermansky, Senior Physiotherapist and Managing Director of MD Health and Dan Jeffreys from Health By Design to put together these home office tips.
4 tips for how to set up your home office
1.Invest in a good computer chair
I’ve used various chairs in the past, priced from $300 upwards. Some had armrests; others had bulky seat cushions (you know the ones that get super dusty) while others were made from weighty and bulky metal frames with single moulded seats. The one thing that all of these computer chairs had in common, was that my backside and legs would feel numb and sore by the end of the day.
By far the most incredibly comfortable, well made, ergonomic computer chair is the Aeron chair by Herman Miller. This chair is not only lightweight, it’s specially designed with different tension stitching on the seat to ensure every part of the body is supported. When I was pregnant and carried extra weight, this was such a pleasure to sit on all day long. Even now I find it hard to sit in any other chair that isn’t a Herman Miller. I can definitely feel the difference!
There’s a couple of things you want to look out for when investing in a new computer chair. Make sure the seat height adjusts so your knees bend at about 90 degrees. The chair height needs to adjust enough that your body meets your desk, and your feet comfortably touch the floor. Your elbows should comfortably rest on the adjustable armrests, making it easy for your wrists to rest on the desk.
2.The desk
If you have an excellent adjustable ergonomic chair that allows your body to move closer to the desk, then you don’t have to worry about getting an adjustable desk that can move up and down.
But if you’re like me and have a small space in your home to work with, I would suggest having a vertical style desk. Not only will a vertical computer desk have a small footprint, but it’ll also force you to get up and reach over your head if you need to get something located above your computer screen.
It took me some time to find an ideal desk. I needed one that adjusted to different heights to suit my hubby and I as we work with different chair and desk heights.
I just love the versatility of this modular desk from Ikea. You have the option to build it with as many or as little shelves as you like. It can be set up to sit side by side or back to back. I like that it’s white, as I’m not too fond of dark and heavy looking furniture in smaller spaces.
3.Have good lighting
Having proper lighting is essential to avoid the unnecessary strain of the eyes when looking at a computer screen. If you’re lucky to have a lot of natural light in your home office, make sure the light isn’t glaring from behind your computer screen or glaring directly onto your computer screen.
4.Your computer monitor
The top 1/3 of your screen should be above your eye level, with 2/3 below eye level. This means your head is only slightly tilted down when working. We used to work from our desktop computers but this wasn’t mobile enough, so we now plug our laptops into a large LG computer monitor.
So before I wrap up, here are some things to keep in mind when putting your new office space together. Whatever you choose it’s important you love your new space and can comfortably work in it for long periods of time. You have the option to be able to make this space exactly how you like it without that sterile corporate feel – so have fun with it 🙂
Before I go, here’s a guide to set up your home office. If you have any questions about your home office, just leave them in the comments below so either Michael or Dan can answer them for others to read.
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