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 workspaces, whether that means a private office or

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>new corner office, it's a good idea to optimize the

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

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>With stay at home orders currently in place, you may

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<v Speaker 1>be limited in how much you can change your setup.

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<v Speaker 1>You likely aren't going to be able to hire an

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<v Speaker 1>ergonomic consultant to come to your home or go shop

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<v Speaker 1>in person for the perfect chair, but smaller tweaks can

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<v Speaker 1>still have a big impact. For example, if your computer

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<v Speaker 1>screen is too low and you find your neck getting sore,

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<v Speaker 1>try changing up the angle by placing a thick book

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<v Speaker 1>or two under your laptop or monitor. If you find

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<v Speaker 1>your wrists or shoulders straining, try to adjust your desk

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<v Speaker 1>and chair so that your forearms are level with the

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<v Speaker 1>desk when you type. If you already have equipment like

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<v Speaker 1>a standing desk or a balance ball, now is definitely

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<v Speaker 1>the time to try it. Ordering relatively inexpensive items such

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<v Speaker 1>as a wireless keyboard and mouse through online delivery can

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<v Speaker 1>also make quite a difference. Try to find what experts

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<v Speaker 1>call your natural posture while sitting spine stacked shoulders, relaxed

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<v Speaker 1>feet on the floor. Then set up your screen, keyboard,

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<v Speaker 1>and mouse so that you can use them while maintaining

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<v Speaker 1>this posture. Another even cheaper idea is simply to change

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<v Speaker 1>your position multiple times through the day. There may be

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<v Speaker 1>times when you'll need to be seated at your desk

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<v Speaker 1>for a while, but simply migrating between the couch, the

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<v Speaker 1>kitchen table in your office chair throughout the day can

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<v Speaker 1>lessen the effect of any flaws in your office set up.

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<v Speaker 1>Take standing or stretching brakes once an hour or whenever

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<v Speaker 1>you take a bathroom break, and you'll likewise lessen any strain.

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<v Speaker 1>The key is to avoid being stuck in any one

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<v Speaker 1>position for too long. Discomfort is distracting. That slightly too

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<v Speaker 1>low table might have seemed okay when people thought this

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<v Speaker 1>would all be over in a few weeks, but remote

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<v Speaker 1>work will likely be at least part of the mix

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<v Speaker 1>for a while. So take a few minutes right now

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<v Speaker 1>to check in with your body. Fix what you can,

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<v Speaker 1>and you just might get a new outlook on life,

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<v Speaker 1>or at least a better view of your laptop screen.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New

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<v Speaker 1>Corner Office is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.