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Many people who work sitting down for hours probably know this: tension in the neck, discomfort in the back, or pain in the shoulders. This is often combined with fatigue and exhaustion, as well as other typical office ailments, such as headaches, burning eyes, heavy legs, etc.
Yet this would not necessarily have to be the case, and many of these complaints could be avoided with good ergonomics at the office workstation.
What does an ergonomically friendly workspace look like?
The central sore point for poor ergonomics usually starts with the office chair. Right after that usually comes the screen, followed by the mouse and keyboard.
However, good ergonomics at the workplace is not only about the work equipment, but rather about how they are placed and how this can create better productivity and a more pleasant working atmosphere. The entire office must therefore remain in focus for more ergonomics at the workplace.
If you implement the following points, you will undoubtedly be on the safe side and have taken important steps for your ergonomic office and for better well-being. It is mainly about these nine subject areas:
- OFFICE CHAIR
- DESK
- SCREEN(S)
- MOUSE
- KEYBOARD
- LOCATION / LIGHT INCIDENCE
- LIGHTING
- ROOM CLIMATE
- FLUIDS
OFFICE CHAIR
As a rule, everyone already has an office chair, whether ergonomic or not is beside the point for now.
If someone wants to buy a new desk chair, they are faced with the challenge that there are more than 1001 choices! As a layman, it quickly becomes difficult to keep track and find a suitable solution.
To make matters worse, marketing and beautiful brochures can relatively easily fake an ergonomic office chair, which often makes itself felt afterwards with pain.
There are also huge differences in prices, from as little as 25 $ to over 2000 $ or even more expensive, you can find everything. However, it is not said that if someone buys an ergonomic office chair for 1000 $, it is really suitable for good ergonomics at the workplace.
Before buying any ergonomic desk chair, I recommend testing it beforehand, preferably at your own workstation, for at least a week. This way, your body will give you the answer itself whether it is a good solution or not.
What should definitely be adjustable and present on an office chair is:
- Seat height
- Backrest tilt angle
- Lumbar support in the lumbar region (lower back)
The seat height should be adjusted so that when your feet are flat on the floor, your thighs are horizontal or slightly higher than your knees when sitting. This gives you a relieving sitting position.
The backrest should be used with an open tilt angle if possible. So do not lock the backrest! This keeps your back in motion, which is medicine for your intervertebral discs, back muscles, and nervous system. Here it is crucial that your backrest generates enough counter-pressure so that you can lean back optimally and still feel a pleasant rocking function.
For an ergonomically friendly workspace, you should definitely have a good support function of your backrest for your lumbar region or lower back. Your spine should thus remain in its natural S-shape. If this is not the case, use a rolled-up towel, a small pillow, or even better professional support cushions, which can bring about a profound positive change in the lumbar region without much effort. This often solves a major problem for back pain forever.
Are armrests important for more ergonomics at the office workstation?
Armrests have a supporting function for the forearms so that the shoulders are relieved and you do not suffer from tension. In addition, armrests help as a support when standing up from the office chair. Ideally, height-adjustable armrests are used.
The armrests should bring your elbows to a 90° angle and be at the same height as your work surface. They thus create an extension of the support surface for the forearms.
Often, however, there is a conflict between armrests and the office desk. If the armrests are too high or come too far forward and prevent you from getting close enough to the edge of the desk, this can already severely limit ergonomics. If you are constantly hindered by the armrests in this case and you cannot adjust them differently, I advise you to unscrew the armrests from the office chair. Now support yourself directly with your forearms on the desk surface.
If you still want a larger support surface for your arms or do not have armrests on your office chair, there are ingenious solutions, that really help to guarantee an ergonomically friendly workspace.
DESK
Here you should first make sure that your desk is deep enough, has the right height, and that sufficient legroom is guaranteed under the office desk.
As a rule of thumb, the desk height should be between 74-76 cm (29-30 inch) high, although this may vary depending on body size.
- The desk height results from your correct sitting position, as explained in the text above.
- For the desk depth, a screen or notebook with a keyboard should easily be able to be placed. The rule for the distance to the screen is that you can touch the screen with an outstretched arm from your sitting position.
- For legroom, there should be no hanging cables in the foot area, and no waste bin or other objects should disturb you here.
If you do not have a height-adjustable work surface, try to see if the height of your office desk can be changed to your desired height with screws. If the desk is too low, wooden blocks, bricks, etc., can help to set the desk surface higher, for example. Make sure that the desk remains stable and there is no risk of tipping.
To ensure good ergonomics at the workplace, you should alternate between sitting and standing. Ideally, a height-adjustable desk would be used here. If you do not have one, you might be able to perform certain tasks on a higher piece of furniture or place a box on your desk so that you can comfortably continue working in a standing position. For example, I try to make my phone calls standing up, which automatically encourages me to change my sitting/standing position more often.
SCREEN(S)
We work hours upon hours at the screen, and therefore special attention should be paid to correct ergonomics here.
Many people make the mistake, especially in the home office, of doing all work exclusively with the laptop. In contrast, I recommend working with an external screen. These do not cost huge sums, but they do an excellent job of bringing ergonomics at the office workstation to a higher level.
With a notebook, the built-in screen is basically too low, and neck complaints quickly arise during prolonged work. It is also not really possible to work ergonomically with the built-in keyboard. Use an external keyboard.
Connect an external screen to your notebook and place the laptop next to the main screen. You should now place the large screen directly in front of you and not too much to the left, right, or even angled. Here, too, the distance to the monitor should be an outstretched arm's length.
If you work with two screens, it is important that you do not turn away unnaturally, but are always well aligned with the active screen. Otherwise, neck and shoulder tension can also occur.
If you only want to work with the notebook, without an external screen, then at least use a notebook stand so that the screen display is higher. To type, you will definitely need an external keyboard and mouse. But this will quickly prove its worth for good ergonomics at the workplace.
MOUSE
I love working with Apple's Magic Mouse because it promotes efficient working and thus guarantees good productivity. On the other hand, I unfortunately have to admit that the Magic Mouse is really not an ergonomic mouse and can quickly cause problems for sensitive wrists, such as tendonitis. I therefore always work with a wrist cushion in connection with the mouse.
Vertical mice, which are available in all variations, are particularly recommended. Vertical mice that can be individually adjusted, such as the thumb rest or the tilt angle, are interesting.
For better ergonomics at the workplace, a wireless mouse certainly helps so that there is no conflict or restriction in freedom of movement with the computer mouse.
With classic mice, you should definitely use a wrist cushion so that your wrist is in a horizontal and not a bent position.
KEYBOARD
The same applies to the keyboard as to the mouse. Use wireless keyboards if possible so that you can work ergonomically and are not hindered by a cable.
If you want to work with a split keyboard, i.e., with one block on the left and one block on the right, this is certainly a bit of getting used to, but a positive aspect from an ergonomic point of view.
A major mistake with the keyboard is the bent posture of the wrists on the desk. You should therefore use a wrist rest and make sure that the keyboard is rather flat and not too steep so that the wrists also remain horizontal.
LOCATION / LIGHT INCIDENCE
For every ergonomically friendly workspace, the correct alignment of the desk in relation to the light incidence is essential.
Direct sunlight on the screen should basically be avoided. The reverse is also true: if you place the screen against a window and you look directly outside, this often causes a high contrast for the eyes and should therefore be avoided.
The ideal positioning of the screen should be such that the light comes from the side and does not create reflections on the monitor.
If your office situation allows, avoid sitting with your back to people entering. It is also a matter of ergonomics that you see what is happening around you and can process confidential documents on the screen without stress if necessary.
LIGHTING
Insufficient or flickering lighting causes fatigue and poor concentration.
Make sure that your workplace always has enough light, even during the day, regardless of the weather conditions.
Daylight is the most popular light source. If this is not sufficient, it is worth buying a lamp. This should generate enough lumens, at least 500 lux, better 1000 lux.
Bright light colors promote concentration and memory performance, whereas yellowish light makes you tired more quickly.
With several lamps, you can create a mix of indirect and direct lighting.
ROOM CLIMATE
People often work in rooms that are too warm and too dry, which has negative consequences for the mucous membranes and can cause all kinds of complaints.
In addition, many offices are not ventilated enough, and pollutants are swirled around by printers, or simply not enough fresh air flows in.
A first immediate trick to get more oxygen is plants that produce a particularly large amount of oxygen and additionally clean the air. Get advice from a gardener here, because there are also plants that are unsuitable for offices and can trigger allergies.
For a good room climate and optimal ergonomics at the workplace, the noise level also counts. Noise makes you sick and hinders concentration.
The plants mentioned above have a positive additional effect here by dampening the sound and thus ensuring less room echo.
For larger noise sources, there are various acoustic solutions, such as standing walls, desk-mounted partitions, or sound-absorbing panels for the wall.
A good trick for minimizing noise is curtains, the thicker the better. Furniture or fabric-covered objects in general provide additional noise dampening.
FLUIDS
There is always a full drinking glass on my desk, and the water bottle is close by. I know only too well that people generally drink too little and that this has a negative effect on the body.
Sufficient fluids strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body, and definitely help for better ergonomics at the office workstation.
Water is best suited as a fluid. Avoid sugary drinks or any other drinks with artificial additives.
Concluding Thoughts
I hope this guide will help you to quickly create an ergonomic office that is a pleasure to work in, so that you can still go home fit even after a long working day.
If you don't know where to start, begin with the office chair and the fluids. Both can be implemented immediately and inevitably increase well-being.
It is important that you continuously work on changes and improvements to ergonomics at the workplace.
If you would like even more information, you will find a total of 51 detailed tips in my book "Wellness in the Office" to help you turn your office into a little paradise.
