Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and hours are more
Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how
Speaker 1: to set up a comfortable and ergonomically sound office space.
Speaker 1: This will help you work with better focus and prevent
Speaker 1: physical discomfort from infringing on your day to day productivity.
Speaker 1: These days, many of us are settling into newly minted
Speaker 1: at home work spaces, whether that means a private office
Speaker 1: or a corner of the kitchen table. Skipping a daily
Speaker 1: car commute is likely a good thing for everyone's overall
Speaker 1: physical well being, but it can be hard to feel
Speaker 1: comfortable right away in a new office space. This is
Speaker 1: especially true if you just grabbed whatever space seemed most
Speaker 1: convenient in mid March. Perhaps you're working with a laptop
Speaker 1: setup that forces you to crane your neck down at
Speaker 1: an awkward angle to see the screen, or maybe you've
Speaker 1: repurposed a dining room chair for nine to five duty.
Speaker 1: We all have different thresholds for comfort, and many of
Speaker 1: us get used to little aches and pains. However, if
Speaker 1: you want to set yourself up for maximum success in
Speaker 1: your new corner office. It's a good idea to optimize
Speaker 1: the ergonomics of your space as soon as possible. Back
Speaker 1: pain is one of the most common reasons for missed
Speaker 1: work in the US, and even a little bit of
Speaker 1: physical discomfort can be distracting when you're trying to do
Speaker 1: meaningful work. Would stay at home orders currently in place,
Speaker 1: you may be limited in how much you can change
Speaker 1: your setup. You likely aren't going to be able to
Speaker 1: hire an ergonomic consultant to come to your home or
Speaker 1: go shop in person for the perfect chair, but smaller
Speaker 1: tweaks can still have a big impact. For example, if
Speaker 1: your computer screen is too low and you find your
Speaker 1: neck getting sore, try changing up the angle by placing
Speaker 1: a thick book or two under your laptop or monitor.
Speaker 1: If you find your wrists or shoulders straining, try to
Speaker 1: adjust your desk and chair so that your forearms are
Speaker 1: level with the desk when you type. If you already
Speaker 1: have equipment like a standing desk or a balance ball,
Speaker 1: now is definitely the time to try it. Ordering relatively
Speaker 1: inexpensive items such as a wireless keyboard and mouse through
Speaker 1: online delivery can also make quite a difference. Try to
Speaker 1: find what experts call your natural posture while sitting spine
Speaker 1: stacked shoulders, relaxed feet on the floor. Then set up
Speaker 1: your screen, keyboard, and mouse so that you can use
Speaker 1: them while maintaining this posture. Another even cheaper idea is
Speaker 1: simply to change your position multiple times through the day.
Speaker 1: There may be times when you'll need to be seated
Speaker 1: at your desk for a while, but simply migrating between
Speaker 1: the couch, the kitchen table in your office chair throughout
Speaker 1: the day can lessen the effect of any flaws in
Speaker 1: your office set up. Take standing or stretching breaks once
Speaker 1: an hour or whenever you take a bathroom break, and
Speaker 1: you'll likewise lessen any strain. The key is to avoid
Speaker 1: get being stuck in any one position for too long.
Speaker 1: Discomfort is distracting. That slightly too low table might have
Speaker 1: seemed okay when people thought this would all be over
Speaker 1: in a few weeks, but remote work will likely be
Speaker 1: at least part of the mix for a while. So
Speaker 1: take a few minutes right now to check in with
Speaker 1: your body. Fix what you can, and you just might
Speaker 1: get a new outlook on life, or at least a
Speaker 1: better view of your laptop screen. In the meantime, this
Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding in
Speaker 1: the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is a
Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit the
Speaker 1: i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
Speaker 1: your favorite shows.