For most of us, a work day means a lot of stress and mental strain. When you come out of the office feeling physically drained, it makes the whole experience even worse. While a lot of us accept physical strain as just another part of the job, you may not be helping yourself during the day’s work. If you’re sick of driving home with aches and pains, then here are some tips for feeling more comfortable at work.
First of all, make sure you’re sitting in an ergonomic position. Your employer may have already supplied you with a workstation that’s made to encourage this. However, even with an older desk and chair, it’s possible to improve your posture. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground, and that your arms are kept at right angles to the desk. Your monitor should be positioned so that you’re able to keep your head straight as well. This might sound like health and safety fussiness. However, a small twinge now could be the start of something much more serious. Repetitive strain injury claims are as frequent as ever, and many office workers suffer from tendon and joint disorders caused by a poor posture.
Making sure you keep a good posture will prevent problems with your muscles and bones. However, you could still be doing a lot of damage to your eyes. If you use a computer on a daily basis, then you’ve got a pretty big risk of developing computer vision syndrome, or CVS. This condition is pretty loosely defined. However, its symptoms include eye strain, dry, irritated eyes, and headaches. If you’re noticing this, then start going a little easier on your eyes. Reduce the brightness on your screen to the lowest setting possible. The “20-20-20” exercise can also help stave off the effects of CVS. This exercise involves looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds once every 20 minutes. Obviously you need to keep on top of all your work. However, sporadic 20-seconds breaks won’t hurt too much.
Finally, get some exercise in. As simple as it sounds, this is probably the toughest piece of advice in this post! After a full work day, you probably have to take care of kids, do housework, and manage a range of other things. However, if you can exercise more, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable both at your desk and away from it. You may think you don’t have the time, but opportunities are probably all around you. Get off the elevator two floors short, and walk the rest of the way. Park at the far end of the lot for even more of a stroll. Even keeping a yoga ball around the house can provide a great opportunity for more exercise. Exercise will make you more limber, and will reduce the risk of any later injuries or discomfort in the workplace.
Take these tips on board the next time you go into work. I’m sure you’ll notice a real, positive difference in only a few days.
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