5 posture tips to know when working from home

It goes without saying that lifestyles changed around the world due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic at the end of the year 2019. This has drastically increased our screen time and launched a trend of work-from-home for most of us. Initially, people faced difficulty adjusting to the routine to work-from-home, but gradually, they learned how to manage it. It is essential to maintain a good posture while working from home because back and neck pain can easily become an obstacle in the way of one’s efficiency and productivity. 

 

Below are five posture tips to help people who work from home. If your back or neck pain doesn’t improve, or you have trouble improving your posture, you can also visit an orthopedic doctor.

 

Choose a comfortable chair

 

When working from home, it is vital to invest in furniture that is comfortable and would not affect your neck and back if you have to work for long hours. It is always better to invest in a chair with an armrest and stiff back support. A chair with good lumbar support is always an excellent option to pick. If you do not have a proper office chair at home, you can choose any other desk or chair but never go for a squishy and soft surface when working from home.

 

Get up and move around

 

Try to take as many steps as possible no matter whether you are working from home or at the office. It is not possible to sit and work for eight consecutive hours. If you do so, it is highly risky for your neck and back. Therefore, getting up in between and stretching yourself is always recommended to avoid the neck pain or muscle spasms. One must not hunch over one’s laptop when working from home. Short breaks are always a good idea to maintain efficiency and for keeping up a good posture while working from home.

 

Avoid dangling your feet

 

People often work in a posture that allows their feet to dangle. When working from home, this posture is commonly adopted. It is not recommended to dangle your feet while working as it can put stress on your lumbar spine and cause long-term trouble. In order to reduce this stress, it is suggested that one should keep a few boxes under the desk to keep one’s thighs nearly parallel to the floor and one’s hips slightly higher than one’s knees. This is the most comfortable position to work in. Experts strongly suggest not to work from a bed or sofa as this can result in terrible back pain.

 

Personalize your workspace setup

 

When working from home, experts say that maintaining a good posture is everything you need. For that matter, it is necessary to perfect your workspace and adjust the sitting position according to your own height and posture. At the offices, people have access to comfortable chairs and desktop computers, whereas, at home, they usually work over laptops. This makes them bend during the work instead of looking straight. One can invest efforts to enhance their posture to avoid back pain. Always try to replicate the usual working posture that you have at the office. Using a desktop rather than a laptop can also assist in maintaining a good posture as it can help you adjust your screen higher.

 

Use earphones when taking calls

One of the common causes of neck strain is taking long calls while holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder. This posture triggers severe neck pain. One must try to use earphones when taking calls. You can also utilize other workstation accessories to maintain a good posture while working from home.