WEBVTT - The New Corner Office: Discomfort is distracting

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the

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<v Speaker 1>new world of work, where location and hours are more

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<v Speaker 1>flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how

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<v Speaker 1>to set up a comfortable and ergonomically sound office space.

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<v Speaker 1>This will help you work with better focus and prevent

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<v Speaker 1>physical discomfort from infringing on your day to day productivity.

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<v Speaker 1>These days, many of us are settling into newly minted

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<v Speaker 1>at home work spaces, whether that means a private office

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<v Speaker 1>or a corner of the kitchen table. Skipping a daily

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<v Speaker 1>car commute is likely a good thing for everyone's overall

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<v Speaker 1>physical well being, but it can be hard to feel

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<v Speaker 1>comfortable right away in a new office space. This is

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<v Speaker 1>especially true if you just grabbed whatever space seemed most

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<v Speaker 1>convenient in mid March. Perhaps you're working with a laptop

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<v Speaker 1>setup that forces you to crane your neck down at

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<v Speaker 1>an awkward angle to see the screen, or maybe you've

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<v Speaker 1>repurposed a dining room chair for nine to five duty.

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<v Speaker 1>We all have different thresholds for comfort, and many of

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<v Speaker 1>us get used to little aches and pains. However, if

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<v Speaker 1>you want to set yourself up for maximum success in

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<v Speaker 1>your new corner office. It's a good idea to optimize

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<v Speaker 1>the ergonomics of your space as soon as possible. Back

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<v Speaker 1>pain is one of the most common reasons for missed

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<v Speaker 1>work in the US, and even a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>physical discomfort can be distracting when you're trying to do

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<v Speaker 1>meaningful work. Would stay at home orders currently in place,

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<v Speaker 1>you may be limited in how much you can change

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<v Speaker 1>your setup. You likely aren't going to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>hire an ergonomic consultant to come to your home or

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<v Speaker 1>go shop in person for the perfect chair, but smaller

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<v Speaker 1>tweaks can still have a big impact. For example, if

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<v Speaker 1>your computer screen is too low and you find your

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<v Speaker 1>neck getting sore, try changing up the angle by placing

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<v Speaker 1>a thick book or two under your laptop or monitor.

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<v Speaker 1>If you find your wrists or shoulders straining, try to

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<v Speaker 1>adjust your desk and chair so that your forearms are

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<v Speaker 1>level with the desk when you type. If you already

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<v Speaker 1>have equipment like a standing desk or a balance ball,

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<v Speaker 1>now is definitely the time to try it. Ordering relatively

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<v Speaker 1>inexpensive items such as a wireless keyboard and mouse through

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<v Speaker 1>online delivery can also make quite a difference. Try to

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<v Speaker 1>find what experts call your natural posture while sitting spine

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<v Speaker 1>stacked shoulders, relaxed feet on the floor. Then set up

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<v Speaker 1>your screen, keyboard, and mouse so that you can use

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<v Speaker 1>them while maintaining this posture. Another even cheaper idea is

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<v Speaker 1>simply to change your position multiple times through the day.

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<v Speaker 1>There may be times when you'll need to be seated

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<v Speaker 1>at your desk for a while, but simply migrating between

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<v Speaker 1>the couch, the kitchen table in your office chair throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the day can lessen the effect of any flaws in

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<v Speaker 1>your office set up. Take standing or stretching breaks once

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<v Speaker 1>an hour or whenever you take a bathroom break, and

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<v Speaker 1>you'll likewise lessen any strain. The key is to avoid

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<v Speaker 1>get being stuck in any one position for too long.

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<v Speaker 1>Discomfort is distracting. That slightly too low table might have

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<v Speaker 1>seemed okay when people thought this would all be over

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<v Speaker 1>in a few weeks, but remote work will likely be

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<v Speaker 1>at least part of the mix for a while. So

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<v Speaker 1>take a few minutes right now to check in with

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<v Speaker 1>your body. Fix what you can, and you just might

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<v Speaker 1>get a new outlook on life, or at least a

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<v Speaker 1>better view of your laptop screen. In the meantime, this

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding in

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<v Speaker 1>the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit the

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<v Speaker 1>i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.