Ergonomics 101: Why A Proper Home Office Setup Matters

If working in front of your monitor has been causing you pain in the neck, shoulders, back, and arms, it’s a sign not only to correct your posture but also your setup. Aesthetics, of course, matter. It makes us motivated. But there’s also another thing that we should take into consideration: Ergonomics.

A quick Google image search on ergonomics would already educate you about why a good home office setup matters. Its principle came from a 1955 book Designing for People by Henry Dreyfuss that led to the development of product designs. It remains vital in today’s time, especially for office workers and students. Your setup shouldn’t only look pleasing, it should also be functional and comfortable.

Here are the reasons why you should consider the ergonomics principle when working on a home office setup:

1. Promotes proper posture and better health

When was the last time you complained about body aches? Sure, our posture is to blame especially when it’s easier to slouch than to keep your back straight for hours. This is why elevating your setup comes in handy.

When you’re in front of your monitor or laptop screen, do you have to look up or down? When you’re typing, are your arms comfortable? Is your chair too low or too high? These are the questions you can ask yourself and from there, know what changes to make. It will help you correct your posture and eventually, your overall health.

2. Prevents long-term musculoskeletal diseases

Not to scare you, but please don’t ignore those frequent muscle aches. I know some teachers, office workers, and artists who have to use wrist and arm support because of long hours spent typing or drawing. Aside from utilizing a proper setup, it’s also important to take a break, stretch, and exercise once in a while.

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Instances are, either your table or your chair doesn’t fit your height. This would mean that when you are using your hands, your arms are not level and are therefore hanging especially when typing. If you’re still building your setup, there are chairs and tables that you can manually adjust to your liking. An adjustment would do a lot of difference. This would prevent long-term musculoskeletal injuries and diseases or those that affect the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage.

3. Enhances motivation and productivity

All the hard work and adjustment all come down to an extra incentive: enhanced motivation and productivity. Investing in this also means investing in your well-being. There are fewer things to worry about when you have an improved and more comfortable workstation. Soon, you’ll find out that you’re working more efficiently without complaining much about muscle aches and pains.