Suddenly our lives have encountered a significant shift and it has become necessary for many professionals to work from home. If this is new for you, like many of my patients, you might be feeling more stress and tension in your lower back and shoulders than ever before. Headaches and brain fatigue are now more than ever starting to get in the way of your ability to focus. Productivity is heading towards an all time low. The natural breaks we all used to take to get in the car to get to work or run errands are significantly less frequent, and there are so many more distractions at our home environment. So how can we create a productive environment at your home office that serves your productivity and your health? Investing in a sit to stand workstation can be a saving grace to your back and your mental clarity. We are designed to move, however, as a society we are moving less and less. The Coronavirus pandemic may have permanently changed the way we work and socialize, and we need to adapt quickly.
Before you go and purchase a full workstation home set up, try using the tools you currently have around the home to change things up for your body. First, set a timer for 30 minutes on repeat. Every time it goes off, it means you need to change your working position from seated to standing and visa-versa. Second, try sitting on a 55-65 cm balance ball instead of your chair. This stimulates your core muscles to stay active and supports your posture over time. If you have one, walk on your treadmill, around your neighborhood, or home stationary bike while listening into a conference call. Another idea is to use your bar height tables to stand and work on your laptop or other devices. Take 15 min breaks to get water and use the restroom and step outside for some sunlight and Vitamin D. This will help your brain recover and you will likely be more focused and more productive. Your brain needs time away from screens, and your heart rate needs to be stimulated to circulate blood to the brain too! Lastly, I like the Flexispot sit to stand desk if you are looking for something to fit on your table and give you a quick and easy lift from seated to standing. The Flexispot uses a nice hand lever with a gentle spring to make it easily go up and down. I would recommend using a separate mount stand for your monitor to lift it up and closer to you. The center of your screen should be at your eye level when you are seated or standing. So having something that adapts with you easily will help avoid eye strain and helps prevent an anterior head tilt while working that can place stress on your suboccipital muscles and cervical spine.
If you think these strategies will help, put them into practice and share this article with your colleagues and bosses. Surrounding yourself with others who are practicing a healthy lifestyle helps you stick to new behaviors until it is the new normal for you. Check us out on social media for more healthy and functional lifestyle tips so you can best learn how to move into your pathway to wellness.
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