What does your workspace look like? No, not the color or how many file cabinets you have, but how is your laptop or monitor positioned? What does your neck feel like at the end of the day? How about your arms, wrists, fingers? Having had my own brushes with carpal tunnel problems, not to mention a long standing back injury, I am always trying to find newer and better ways to layout my workspace.
Lifehacker has some simple (and inexpensive) ideas for getting your workspace up to snuff. Your first step is going to be getting that laptop screen up to the right height…
It’s easy to forget about your body’s needs when you’re deep into your work or the net—until your body offers a painful reminder. Save your physical shell some strain with these cheap, customizable ergonomic workspace upgrades.
[From Top 10 Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Workspace - Ergonomics - Lifehacker]
Once your laptop or monitor are at the right height, you’re going to need to work on that keyboard and mouse combination. With your laptop at the right height it’s pretty hard to type on it, unless you’re standing of course. Desks are only now coming around to getting keyboard drawers, table heights and chairs to mesh up together. All too often I haven’t been able to get the right position together because I can’t get the chair at the right height and the other things matched into place.
Remember: you should be able to sit up straight, arms relaxed, and head up to be able to work most comfortably.
If you have looked at all of Lifehacker’s recommendations, then the final one to remember is taking breaks. Stand up, stretch. Even set up your workspace so that you can type standing up.
Once you have all these parts in place, then you can start getting good writing done. Only when I have my work area ready am I able to write for the hours that sometimes just happens. When you’re going, you’re going. Sure there is a lot of popping and cracking when I stand up, but a lot less than if I was hunched over the laptop for the same amount of time.
Are you ready to make a change?
Tris Hussey is a writer, teacher, blogger, and speaker on all facets of Internet life, WordPress, and social media. He is the author of Create Your Own Blog: 6 Easy Blogging Projects to Start Blogging Like a Pro and Using WordPress.
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John Biehler and I both use the Ikea Jerker, which is the best desk ever. EVER.
This customization of the Jerker takes it a step further, making it transform from a sitting to standing desk.
Anyone got a lift mechanism kicking around?
I’m, in fact, writing this from an IKEA desk. The one with a white-board (now buried behind my 2nd monitor).