When we were young, through persistent attention to our physical sense - we learnt to balance our body weight in the upright
position. We stood and sat naturally balanced through our spine without the need for bracing and moved with natural poise and
grace. At this early stage our muscles lacked the strength to support bad coordination and poor posture. The result was that
we achieved uprightness with a natural grace and poise.
Unfortunately as we grew and spent more time at desks, first at school and then in the office, many of us started to use
muscular tension or collapse to hold our bodies in static seated positions over extended periods of time, and our bodies
took on a shape, a posture, that was learned not natural. It is difficult to change these habits because they feel familiar.
The result is that we develop postural problems, tension and pain and no longer look or feel at ease with the world.
How we arrange our working space is crucial to our well being, while we might appreciate the familiarity of a typical office
set up, the position of the phone or the angle of the monitor, it is important that we plan the workstation around our
personal needs and provide opportunities for flexible working so that we avoid the trap of static postural positions or
repetitive actions which cause strain over months and years.
Your visual zone needs to include all the things that you look at during your work, your computer screen, documents etc.
If you have to turn your head repeatedly to access information, you have a recipe for fatigue and strain.
Similarly, your arm reach zone needs to include everything that you frequently use, you should not bend or stretch to reach
the phone and items such as the mouse need to sit within a zone determined by the length of your forearm. Importantly,
lighting should be adequate to illuminate documents but avoid glare.
Experts agree that the single most important component of a healthy working environment is your chair. You should be able to
sit comfortably in the chair using as much of it as possible for support. A lumbar pad should fit comfortably into the curve
of your lower back, and your feet should be flat on the floor, (using a foot rest if necessary). The seat should support the
legs without applying pressure to the back of your knees.
Your desk and seat are set to a height that helps you maintain a good working posture. For example: While a desk height of 28
to 30 inches may be ideal for writing, a lower height is more suitable for keyboard work, here a keyboard tray, fitted below
the desk level could be the answer.
If your habit is to cradle the phone between your head and a hunched shoulder, then a speakerphone and head set arrangement
will ensure that neck problems are a thing of the past.
Document holders placed close to the computer monitor avoid the tendency to drop the head, an action that over time will surely
lead to an unsightly hump at the base of the neck as well as chronic back pain between the shoulder blades.
