Office Pains - How To Reduce Workplace Woes
Hi there Vitalyte friends! Hope you had a great weekend. I always love weekends, because that means, no work! Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and all, but sitting at a desk for a good part of the day can be painful, literally. My back and shoulders tense up and I just can’t help but feel like I’ve aged ten years when I leave everyday.
Get this, according to a survey released by Staples, Inc., 86% of workers experience some discomfort from their office furniture and equipment. Geez… it’s honestly no wonder why so many people are grouchy at the end of the day.
First of all, if this sounds true to you, talk to your office management about having someone come in to make your workplace environment more ergonomic. This alone, will greatly reduce the potential for repetitive stress injuries to the eyes, neck, back, shoulders and wrists.
These injuries are caused by nerve compression, decreased circulation, muscle fatigue and tendonitis due to prolonged working in static and awkward positions. The body needs to be allowed to change and support itself properly and sitting at a desk just isn’t doing that.
Here’s some advice to help make your days a little better:
1. Eye strain and headaches - Make sure you rest your eyes every 20 minutes throughout the day when looking at a computer screen. Your eyes are naturally suited to see far away. When you look up close for long periods of time, the shape of your eye actually changes, thus making it difficult for you to see far away after a long period of time has elapsed.
2. Neck and back pain - Your monitor should be around 2 feet from your head, with the center of the screen about a 10 to 20 degree downward angle from your eyes.
3. Carpel Tunnel - Your forearms should be at a 90 degree angle to your upper arms when typing. Your shoulder also should not be hunched. Consider installing a keyboard tray to help with this.
Make sure in addition to this, you are sitting correctly. Like mother always said, stop slouching! You know what helps with posture? Yoga and other forms of exercise. Perhaps you should weave those in as well…
Until next time…
