If you worked at a desk before the pandemic began, odds are that you now work from home. Commuting to the kitchen table was probably nice at first. Wearing nothing but a nice shirt and underwear during business calls is pretty great too. By now, though, you probably recognize some of the downsides of working from home:
Your kitchen counter stools and dining room table chairs are not comfortable to sit in, so your shoulders, neck, and low back are stiffer or hurting more than usual.
Without meetings and chitchats to break up screen time, you may be experiencing more mental fatigue and eyestrain, which eventually leads to visual decay.
There’s no separation between your work and home life. It feels like you’re always on, always checking email, and never truly relaxing.
Sound familiar? Here’s how to reduce the physical and mental strain.
Buy a good chair. Chairs are rated by the amount of time people can safely and comfortably sit in them. Kitchen stools have low ratings. Buy a proper office chair with a long sit rating. You’ll ultimately save money by not having as many medical bills.
Sit or stand and look straight ahead. Ideally, buy a desk that raises and lowers so that you can switch between standing and sitting. Variety is good. In addition, use a monitor or buy a stand that elevates your laptop screen to eye level, so you can work without craning your neck. Finally, use an external keyboard and mouse to keep your shoulders from looking like they’re being sucked into your ears.
Take real breaks. There’s debate about the optimal amount of time to work straight without breaks (50 minutes is commonly cited). Whatever your optimal working block is, take at least 10 to 15 minutes of break time between blocks. If you need to read the same sentence or passage twice to understand it, that’s a good signal to stop. However, Staring at your smartphone for 15 minutes is not a break. Your brain and eyes need a chance to rest. Breaks are a perfect time for your daily lacrosse ball routine. When your work day is over, again, avoid screens. Reading text on a tiny screen is not a break for your brain.
Bottom line: You could be working from home for months or years to come. Just because you’ve adapted to a poor work setup and relentless schedule, that doesn’t mean your body and brain like it. Adapt now and suffer less later.
Get in touch if you start to experience blurry vision, sore shoulders, or a sore neck, especially at the base of the skull. We’ll come up with a plan to stop the pain and keep it from returning.
Dr. Jake Shores
Chiropractic Neurologist
Park City, Utah
