The average person spends over 13 years of their life at the office. This can translate to longer periods behind a computer, whether you work from home or on-site. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider office practices and how they can affect your health in the long run. On that note, here are some vital tips for staying healthy if you sit behind your computer for long hours every day.
Keep an Ideal Sitting Posture
Maintaining a good sitting posture is crucial if you sit behind your computer every day. Unfortunately, many workers trivialize the importance of good posture, so it’s not surprising that about 39 percent of American adults have multiple levels of back pain. Aside from backaches, poor sitting posture can also lead to a curvature of your spine and even affect sleep quality.
There are several ways to practice a good sitting posture while you work. You can invest in an ergonomically designed chair optimally tailored to support your back. Getting a lumbar support pillow is also a great alternative. When shopping for office chairs, ensure there are no gaps between the chair’s backrest and your spine.
Adjust Your Screen and Keyboard
The type of monitor you use can affect your eyes and overall health. While options like these Lenovo 24″ gaming monitors are a good choice, positioning them wrongly can also present new challenges for your health. Sometimes, you’ll have to lean forward to see your monitor’s content. The same applies to your keyboard. Generally, it pays to adjust your keyboard and screen position based on your height. However, you may need different angles as you perform different tasks.
For instance, reading documents at your desk may require you to relax comfortably in your chair. When typing, you can keep your wrists above the keyboard while your foot is well-rested flat on the floor or on a footrest.
Use Good Lighting
Using your computer during different times in the day requires different lighting demands.
Opening your office up to natural light can be a great way to access optimal office lighting during the day. However, it’s essential to cut out your windows to prevent the sun from bouncing on your laptop screens.
Evenly distributing your office lights can be a great alternative. You can also use overhead lights for specific focus areas where your office desk is stationed. Effective lighting doesn’t affect visibility only; it can also enhance your mood and productivity. On the flip side, a lack of good lighting may increase your susceptibility to anxiety and depression.
Take Intermittent Breaks
Talking about overall health, how often do you take breaks away from the computer? If you take little to no breaks, you may be sitting on a muscle pain and tension time bomb, which can eventually affect your mobility. So, how often should you take these breaks? As often as possible based on the intensity of your schedule. The objective is to flee from sedentary life and its damning effects. You can phase your workday into four-hour deep-work sessions and a few minutes of stretch and leisure time.
Generally, the office can expose employees to numerous health risks. Beyond these healthy tips, it’s crucial for business owners to find new ways of merging work and health to protect workers from stress and its effects.