1. Uncomfortable furniture
Are you used to your old, creaky chair or the table you bought as a student and don’t want to change anything? Or do you even work on the floor or sofa with your laptop on your lap? We may upset you, but periodic pain throughout the body may be associated with this.Using uncomfortable furniture that does not support your back and neck, you often take an incorrect posture: slouching or bending your legs. Because of this, blood supply deteriorates and the load on the spine increases. Over time, discomfort, swelling, and then pain come: this is how your body cries out for help.
If you start your workday sitting with your back straight and end up in the scoliotic shrimp position, it's most likely a problem with your chair. Models with adjustable backrest and height will suit you best. Does your lower back tingle during or after sedentary work? Try placing a special pillow under your back.
If you have nowhere to put your legs and your legs are tucked in, your elbows are hanging, and your monitor is very close, you should probably get a taller, roomier desk. To choose the right height of the table and chair, use the calculator - it will calculate the optimal size of the furniture depending on your height.
When working at a laptop on a sofa or bed, your head tilts more than usual, overloading your neck muscles. This position can cause pain and discomfort. For those who like to work in exotic positions, we advise you to take a closer look at special tables (there are even ones for working while standing) and laptop stands.
Many carders now prefer to work while standing, and there are special tables for this.
Don’t rush to buy a fancy office set: the price, of course, affects the quality, but does not guarantee that you personally will be comfortable. Go shopping, try different models. Listen to your feelings, not what marketers say.
2. Inappropriate technique
When typing or using a mouse, do your forearm feel like wood and your wrists hurt? This is how the first symptoms of tunnel syndrome appear, which without proper treatment can lead to neuropathy and other troubles.Unpleasant sensations in your hands are a reason to think about changing equipment. Your keyboard may not have the right shape for you: if it's too high or low, you'll be holding your wrists in an unnatural position. While working on a regular straight keyboard, the arm muscles can become numb and tired: more ergonomic models, although they look strange - curved, with buttons of different sizes - are more comfortable to type on, since the hands and wrists are less strained.
The mouse may also have a body shape that is unsuitable for you or buttons that you have to press with force. Take a closer look at models created with maximum ergonomics in mind. An unusual mouse that needs to be held on the side rather than on top can be shocking at first. But it will reduce the load on suffering wrists and forearms.
"Vertical" mouse reduces strain on wrists and forearms
It’s more difficult with a laptop: while the mouse can be replaced, the keyboard is problematic. However, you can place the device on another surface: the main thing is to make sure that your wrists do not bend upward and do not hang.
Speaking of laptops. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago warn: do not keep your laptop on your lap. This is harmful not only for equipment - without air access, the cooling system cannot work normally - but also for you!
And finally, about monitors. Determine at what angle you are looking at the screen. If the device is too high, you will strain your eyes; if it is too low, you will hunch over and harm your neck and back. If you constantly pull your head closer to the screen, then most likely it is too small - think about buying a larger monitor, fortunately, every year you have to pay less and less for the diagonal.
Also monitor the condition of your eyes while working: if it hurts to look at the screen, change the brightness settings. However, the main enemy for the eyes is...
3. Incorrect lighting
If during or after work you have a headache and your eyes are very tired, it may be due to incorrect, insufficient or excessive lighting. The correct one should be evenly distributed throughout the room: you shouldn’t just turn on the desk lamp next to the monitor when it’s dark outside - it needs to be supplemented with background lighting.Choose lamps of the same color temperature (different shades in the same room can irritate the eyes and lead to headaches) and do not forget to replace them on time. Cold light is more suitable for the workplace - that is, the color temperature of the lamp is above 5300 Kelvin (this indicator can be found on the packaging or page with product characteristics in the online store). Warm tones relax, while cold tones, on the contrary, help to concentrate.
Also keep in mind that not all kelvins and lumens are created equal: two different lamps with the same color temperature and brightness can produce very different light output. The fact is that in addition to the simple and understandable parameters that all manufacturers print on the boxes, there are also much more confusing spectral characteristics of LEDs and pulsation. Often, cheap light bulbs produce highly flickering light with a clear yellow, blue or greenish tint; many carders are irritated by such light - consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, we advise you to look for light bulb tests on the Internet and try out different options for yourself.
Choosing the right lighting is one of the most effective ways to create a comfortable environment
Natural light is important for healthy vision, so it's best to locate your workspace near a window. But there are nuances here too. If the sun's rays are shining directly into your monitor, the glare on the screen can be annoying and make it difficult to concentrate. It is best to position yourself to the side of the window and hang blinds or curtains on it so as not to be distracted on a sunny day.
4. Unfavorable environment
Intrusive sounds, foreign odors, uncomfortable temperatures, low humidity - all this affects your mood, concentration, productivity and, as a result, your well-being.If you get tired quickly and constantly feel discomfort, pay attention to the conditions in which you work. Ventilate the room more often and maintain a normal level of humidity (humidifiers help) - this way you will not be bothered by breathing problems, headaches and dry nasal mucosa. Noise-isolating headphones and other life hacks will help you against noisy neighbors.
A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind: try to keep your workspace clean and organized. Stacks of papers, dirty mugs and unnecessary little things will constantly distract your attention (which is already difficult to maintain for eight hours a day).
By the way, it would also be a good idea to put things in order on your phone: constant notifications make it difficult to concentrate and ultimately get on your nerves - you can and should fight them.
5. Same position
No matter how ergonomic your workplace is, you will still have to move, stretch and change position. Combine different positions: sit on another chair, lie down (if you have a laptop and a special table), try to work while standing (if, of course, there is a suitable surface so that you don’t have to tilt your head).The Internet is full of examples of warm-ups that take less than five minutes, but are very helpful for a stiff body. If you are bored with doing regular exercises with bending over and squats, try home yoga.
