Over the last 2 years the majority of the public have had some kind of change within their working environment. This has led to a dramatic rise in individuals with postural related pain due to the change in nature of their workspace. Many people don’t have the right tools to be able to set up a designated desk space at home, so have ended up on the dining or breakfast table, the sofa, or even worse propped up in bed.
We all know about ergonomically set up desks as most workplaces provide this for us, but how do we go about setting up one from home. As we know a lot of businesses are planning to keep the flexible work situation as we come out of this pandemic, so let’s make sure we can set you up for success!
Saving money tip
The first thing we’d recommend is if your workplace is offering you chairs, desks, laptop risers and all other types of equipment that can help, then take the opportunity to have it (as long as it fits in your house/flat). If they haven’t offered, then ask to see if they will lend them out to you.
Setting boundaries
If you have the space, try to set up a designated work space/area, this will allow you to leave and switch off at the end of your working day. If you haven't got the space ensure you pack as much away as possible so it's at least out of sight. Switching off mentally will hopefully reduce the amount of stress your body encounters (Stress levels are hugely underestimated in regards to its relationship with pain).
Set up
Aim to not be looking down at your screen: as soon as your eyes drop down your posture will follow. This can be hard if you have a laptop/tablet so it might be worth investing in a bluetooth keyboard and mouse from amazon and resting your laptop on a couple of shoe boxes or books to raise it up from your desk/table to your eye-line. Alternatively, you could invest in a standing desk or laptop riser, these can be found from as little as £15-£30 on amazon and are very flexible in terms of being packed away after using them. Failing that try using your ironing board or a stack of books to rest your screen on.
Staying Active
Add an alarm onto your phone that encourages you to get up every hour for a few minutes and perform some stretches or have a walk around the house to get your body moving again.
If you are on phone calls then aim to use hands free with headphones or loudspeaker so you can get up and walk around whilst on the phone, to make sure you are not being too sedentary.
Whilst on your lunch break maybe pop out for a walk or for a coffee to get yourself moving, even walk the dog or go for a run. This change in scenery allows you to get muscles moving and the heart rate up as well as hopefully getting some Vitamin D (in the summer) to boost your mood.
Finally, If you’ve been struggling with postural aches and pains or headaches throughout the pandemic and can’t quite figure out how to get rid of them, then here at ADT Chiropractic we would love to help! Book in asap and we will go through a comprehensive assessment with you and find the root cause of your issues, giving you advice and treatment aiming to improve all aspects of your issues.