Tips for Making Your Office More Ergonomic

Do you hate your cubicle?  If you do, you’re not alone.  While cubicles are great for maxing out space and keeping workers physically close for better collaboration and communication, they are terrible for office morale, as many workers feel cramped and unable to set up an efficient work station.  Fortunately, though, you don’t have to have tons of space to arrange a great work environment!  All you need is a space you call your own and these tips for better placing your equipment.  The very definition to work efficiency is using your time and resources as well as possible, which includes minimizing both movements and possible injuries.  Thus, these tips will factor in the importance of ergonomic adjustments as related to productivity and overall health.

{Tip: Many offices have a human relations coordinator who can either perform  an ergonomic assessment herself or refer you to someone who can.  In many cases, your office can and will foot the bill to protect you from injury and to enable you to be more productive.  There’s no harm in asking, right?}

• Raise your monitor. Most workers’ screens are too low.  They should be at eye level and about 20 inches away from you, whether it’s a PC, Mac, or laptop.  A monitor lift is a very cheap and easy fix and is great for laptops in that it is vented and will allow your laptop to run at a cooler temp.
• Adjust your chair.  In fact, if you don’t have an adjustable, ergonomic chair, ask for one!  This is especially true if you have had back problems.  Every worker needs good back support, as well as the ability to raise and lower the seat pan so that their feet are flat on the floor.  If an ergo chair is not in the cards for you, at least try out portable back support which will at least provide your back with comfort.
• Ask for a wrist rest.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common office injury and be easily avoided by practicing good wrist positioning.  Too many typists cock their wrists while typing or rest them improperly.  Thus, keep in mind that your hands should hover over the keys while typing and should only use a wrist rest for the balls of the hands {not the actual wrists!} during breaks between typing.
• Try an ergonomic keyboard.  Finding a good fit is just a matter of preference and trying out a couple different keyboards.  Ergonomic keyboards can be especially helpful as an add-on to your docked lap top.  They are much more comfortable for long periods of typing and can be moved closer to the body while your screen is elevated.  You might also enjoy a curved or split keyboard.  It’s crucial that you find the right ergonomic fit- that’s why we have a great return policy- you can order any number of products, try them out, then return what doesn’t suit you.
• Request a document holder.  It’s such an easy fix, but elevating notes or documents that you frequently reference keeps you from straining your eyes and your neck and saves you time.
• Lastly, try a sound machine, or even this free online generator, for fewer distractions.  Sound machines are a godsend for cubicle workers.

When you spend a lot of time in a cubicle, making ergonomic adjustments will help you keep your focus so you can stay productive.