Do you find yourself sitting in front of a screen for many hours (or more) a day on most days of the week? Take a moment to be sure that your work space is set-up right.
Why? Sitting in a less-than-ideal position can lead to stiffness and fatigue. Slouching stretches out ligaments and muscles in your neck and back and can also lead to pain and injury.
Prevent pain or injury by having a good work space set-up.
In order to prevent pain and injury, you should have a dedicated space do your school work. You should avoid sitting in your bed. If you must use your bed, be sure you are sitting at the edge of the bed with your feet on the ground.
First, check the position of your computer, equipment, and supplies:
- The top of the screen should be level with your eyes.
- The monitor should be an arm’s length distance between your eyes and the screen.
- The screen should be tilted slightly upward.
- Check that light is off to the side (not from behind the computer or you!).
- Pull a curtain if it is sunny out and you must work close to a window.
- Putting documents into a document clip that attaches to the computer screen or on an inclined surface (a 4” binder can work if you don’t want to buy a document holder – this will keep your working documents at a good angle) will help keep you in an ideal position even as you reference other materials as you work.
Next, make sure that your body is positioned correctly:
- You should sit with your feet flat on the ground – thighs should have a slight angle down (your hips should sit slightly higher than your knees).
- Your back should have some support. If you are sitting on the edge of the bed – put a few pillows behind your back to support your back.
- Your elbows should be at 90’ angle when you type.
- Your wrists should be straight with your keyboard just below the elbow height. Try not to rest your wrists or elbows on any surface.
Also check your computer settings:
- Screen brightness can impact eye strain and posture. Adjust the brightness of your monitor so it is approximately the brightness of the area behind it. You can usually do this right on your monitor on the bottom right.
- You may need to adjust your font size-ideally font size is about 2-3x the size of text you can normally read.
Finally, plan regular breaks from your work space:
Keep yourself alert and take care of your body by standing up from your work space and look away from all screens for at least 1-2 minutes every 20-30 minutes (put a timer on if you think you will forget!). Stretch into the opposite position from what you have been sitting in (check out some good stretches here) and plan to take a 5-10 minute break (get up and walk around – go get yourself a glass of water or go out in the sunshine) every hour you are sitting.
Manning, J. (2019). Office ergonomics training. Department of Health and Human Services. Indian Health Service Hospital. Shiprock, New Mexico.