I remember the days when “Zoom” was just a great tune by Fat Larry’s Band, and we all went to work in office buildings. Now, thanks to the World Wide Web and that pandemic, more than a quarter of the global workforce now works remotely. While sitting at a desk at home is not as physically demanding as Alaskan crab fishing, that’s not to say it doesn’t take a toll on our minds and bodies. To follow are some simple, low-cost ways to improve your home workplace and boost your productivity.
1. IF YOU ARE SITTING COMFORTABLY, THEN I’LL BEGIN
Your monitor should be an arm’s length away from your face, no less than 50cm and no more than 100cm. The top of the screen should be eye height, or if you wear bi-focals, lower it by 3cm. If your weapon of choice is a laptop, consider investing in an external keyboard and laptop stand to raise the screen to eye level.
Wrists need to be straight, with hands either at or below elbow level. Resting hands on hard edges can cause contact stress. You may even develop claws, which are fun at Halloween parties, but otherwise wrist rests are advised. Shoulders should be relaxed, and elbows close to the body, so adjust the chair’s armrests accordingly.
At the risk of sounding like a yoga session, thighs should be parallel to the floor, knees level with hips, and feet flat on the floor. For this, you may need to adjust chair height, get yourself a footrest, or just rest your feet on a very compliant pet.
Clear clutter from under your desk so legs and feet (and very compliant pet) have adequate space. Apparently, crossing your legs is an absolute no-no, causing everything from increased blood pressure to a rupture in the space-time continuum, so I’ll stop doing it if you will. For a natural pelvis position your peachy cheeks should be in contact with the back of your chair, allowing for the curve in the lower back. Consider getting a back support cushion if your chair doesn’t provide one.
Basically, your ears, shoulders, and hips should be aligned. Be wary of letting your head flop forward while you work as this adds weight strain on your neck. Especially if you’re gifted with an exceptionally heavy brain.
2. I SEE THE LIGHT!
Speaking of clever people, Dr Victoria Revell, a chrono-biologist at the University of Surrey, writes, “Light is critical for our health and well-being. Ensuring that we receive adequate light levels at the appropriate time of day benefits our alertness, mood, productivity, sleep patterns, and many aspects of our physiology”.
Unless you’re a vampire or avid gamer, daylight is your friend. For optimum goodness, choose a naturally well-lit room and position your monitor to avoid direct glare or reflections on the screen. With artificial light sources, the villain of the piece is fluorescent lighting as it resonates and flickers, causing headaches and eyestrain. The recommendations are to use LED and soft yellow tone bulbs with dimmer switches, and a combination of overhead and ‘task lighting’ (lamps).
3. DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT
According to a study by the Indoor Environment Berkeley Lab, 22 °C is the ideal room temperature to achieve optimum productivity in office work. Too warm makes us sluggish. Too cold, because your colleagues insist on setting the aircon to ‘sub-zero’ and you don’t like it so confiscate the remote control, makes you unpopular. Consistent air-conditioning is expensive to run, and used long-term, contributes to respiratory ailments and dehydration, so try to limit the overall usage time.
Making your home economy efficient nowadays also makes it airtight, with double-glazing, window and door frame sealants and attic insulation. Stale air is detrimental to a healthy working environment, so where possible, regulate your room temperature by keeping a window open. When it comes to ventilation, I’m a big fan (big fan haha.. oh never mind). Using a fan will distribute your energy-boosting fresh air at a lower cost.
4. DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!
Replacing your regular coffee with herbal tea can effectively diminish what joy you have left in your life. Thankfully, advice from Health Direct states that 400mg of caffeine a day (that’s 2 espressos, or 4 instant coffees, or 8 cups of tea) is an acceptable amount for a healthy adult. As a stimulant, caffeinated and energy drinks will make you more alert. However, as a diuretic your bladder will need to urinate more often. While the frequent trips to the tinkletorium may give you a break from the screen, and chance to stretch your legs, remember to stay hydrated with healthier options. Alcohol should be avoided unless you’re Ernest Hemingway, or you’re crafting a particularly epic resignation letter.
5. TIME OUT
Time flies by unannounced when you’re creating a masterpiece. You may emerge from your work flurry to find a week has passed, you’ve developed the spinal curvature of a question mark, and a nice man from the Guinness Book of World Records is waiting to measure your toe-nails. Health and Safety Executive guidelines state that display screen users should take a break of 5-10 minutes every hour. Set an alarm, step away from the electronics, and refocus your eyes on something at least 20ft (6 metres) away. Walk about, stretch, do some breathing meditation. Have a dance, lie down with a mint-infused flannel on your face, or go and chat with a neighbour (remove flannel first), plan a revolution, or impress the cat with your fruit juggling skills. Then grab some healthy snacks and a fresh brew, fully invigorated for the next onslaught of productivity.
GET INTO THE GROOVE
Making these types of adjustments has long-term benefits. They help to avoid many of the stresses associated with sedentary computer work, such as chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, eyestrain, and insomnia. You may even become better-looking as a result, and increase your chances of winning the lottery. In the meantime, for an immediate boost to your well-being, I wholeheartedly recommend a slow boogie to the timeless classic, “Zoom” by Fat Larry’s Band.