Assess your work area
We all spend time in front of a computer, whether it be at home or in the office.
When was the last time you actually looked at the area surrounding your computer?
It is important to survey this as it may affect the way you are working on your computer. Take a moment now to assess the way you are working to see whether you are working effectively or can make some simple changes to improve you overall experience.
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Monitor – the top of your monitor should be level with your eyes and should be spaced at arm’s length away. Assess whether you have the right size monitor, maybe you need a 2nd one to fit everything on you need?
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Keyboard - it should be positioned so that your arms are bent at a right angle. When typing are you using the right angle? Make sure it’s comfortable and that you have good range of motion with the space around it.
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Mouse – the correct position is what is comfortable for your wrist. Make sure you don’t have to stretch out to use the mouse it should be close to your body. Ensure you are using the right size mouse for your hand so that your wrist is not tilted too high. Also make sure you have enough surface space around you to use the mouse smoothly.
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Chair – you should be sitting in an upright position with your feet flat on the floor, your knees should be at a right angle. Everybody has different lumbar support requirements so most importantly avoid slouching.
Most importantly you should get up and move about, at least once an hour. If you do a lot of typing and using the mouse do some wrist rolls to stretch your muscles to help avoid RSI.
Your work area should also be uncluttered, this helps your mind focus on the the task at hand without the distraction of other things surrounding you. If you are sitting in a pleasant environment your mental state will be more relaxed.
Lastly for peace of mind and to help your overall productivity. Is the computer you’re working on up to your tasks? Does it take longer than ‘making a cup of coffee’ to begin start up? You really need to look at investing in upgrades or buying a new one. This alone would be a negative start and frustrate you.
So, how did you go, how is your work area? Did it pass or do you need to make a few changes to better your computing experience?