Not Just for the Workplace: How to Incorporate Ergonomics at Home
How to Incorporate Ergonomics Into Every Part of Your Life
We’re always talking about the importance of ergonomics in the workplace—from teaching how to set up your ergonomic workstation, to detailing the health benefits of ergonomic chairs, and offering ergonomics tips for employees and employers.
While these are all very important for your health and wellness, many people often overlook ergonomics once they’re out of the office and home for the night. To help you avoid undoing all of the ergonomic benefits of the day, here are some great ways to incorporate ergonomics into your life at home.
Ergonomics Tips for Working or Studying at Home
You may have the perfect ergonomic workstation at the office, but once you get home, you resort to slouching over a laptop on your couch. If you don’t have a home office or a desktop computer, that’s all right! There are some easy adjustments you can make to improve your ergonomics while working or studying from home.
One of the best tips is to use a flat surface whenever possible—whether you’re at a desk, the kitchen counter, or sitting on the floor behind your coffee table. Ideally, you’ll want to use a separate keyboard and mouse, to avoid wrist pain and unnecessary stress on your joints. If you’re working from a couch or your bed, back support is key. Try to sit up straight, against the back of the couch, a headboard, or the wall to give your back the support it needs and place a pillow under your knees. You may want to look into a laptop cushion or stand if you’re frequently working from this position.
Ergonomics Tips for Lounging or Watching TV
You’ve spent all day at work sitting up straight, and now that you’re home, you just want to relax on the couch or in bed. Unfortunately, this often means slouching or sitting with inadequate support for your spine. Try to be conscious about how you’re sitting or lying down, to avoid putting too much stress on your joints and muscles.
While some of the more obvious ergonomic changes you can make include adjusting how or where you sit, one common ergonomic stressor is the TV. If you’re sitting too close or too far away from your TV, you may be straining your eyes to see clearly. This TV size-to-distance calculator can help you determine the ideal distance to sit away from your TV, based on the screen size.
Ergonomics Tips for Sleeping
If you’re going to be in a position for more than a few minutes—whether sitting, standing, or lying down—it’s especially important to keep ergonomics in mind. Sleeping in a bad position for hours at a time can lead to chronic pain, affect your physical and mental well-being during the day, and more.
To improve your ergonomics while you’re sleeping, you can make any number of small or large changes. One of the biggest changes you can make would be to upgrade your mattress. While ultra-soft mattresses can be comfortable, they may not be giving your back and neck the support they need during the night. Another less-drastic change would be to switch out your sleeping pillow for an ergonomic one. Ergonomic pillows are contoured to help you put less stress on your neck—which is especially important for side sleepers.
Looking for a way to improve your ergonomics while sleeping right away? Changing your sleeping position can be a great way to do this. Ideally, you should be sleeping on your back with just one pillow under your head. The second-best sleeping position is on your side with your legs bent and a pillow between your knees for support.
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