How to Set Up An Ergonomic Home Office?

 

I bought a new writing desk from shopee but after the setup, it is far from stable. Ah! what do I expect from a less than RM90 table, right? So, I end up swapping it with my dining table, which is more solid to spend time working for hours there. I still haven't gotten myself a proper chair to sit on. As you can see in the photo above my so 'old school' home office set-up. Feeling like a teacher with no students.😅

We are living in a digital era and most of us spend more hours in front of computers at home. So traditional home office set up, which is just table, chair and computer kind of outdated trend.

Improper set-up could lead to body stress by staying in an uncomfortable position for long hours. Prolong for this ignorance could result in MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders).

How to set up an ergonomic home office?

Proper Ergonomic Home Office setup is necessary these days to avoid the possibility of bad posture syndrome and at the same time could increase work quality and productivity.

The most important to achieve my dream ergonomic home office of my dream is suitable furniture.

1. Choose the right height for the chair and desk

I remember during my working days, my ex-employer provided an ergonomic chair and adjustable table for us. We can adjust the desk and chair according to body type and make sure the proper positioning to avoid muscular injuries. I find it is necessary to have a good quality adjustable desk and ergonomic chair for us to work at the right posture. My ex-employer even provided a standing desk which helped with my back pain problem those days because I couldn't sit for too long.

2. Proper distance from computer monitor

The ideal distance from your monitor is 20 inches and the top of your monitor should be at just eye-level position. Your eyes should be directed slightly downward so it don't strain your neck and eye. One tip for you is to know your monitor at the right distance. If you can touch the screen with a fingertip (just do it like the ET style😆), then it is at the ideal distance.

3. Good lighting

Too bright could cause glare on the monitor screen and not sure about other people but it gives me headaches. It's not about just adequate lighting but when setting up a home office you could adjust the light so it doesn't shine directly on you. This is to reduce the risk of eye strain and headaches.

As for my home office, the desk is positioned right beside the window. You can install blinds but I have both day and blackout curtains to suit my needs.

4. Space to move around

I have a claustrophobic syndrome, so I need to have proper space and a big room to move around freely. At the same time, I could stretch or even stand for a few times to improve my blood circulation. Do not stress your body by sitting in one place for too long. Even if you have good expensive ergonomic furniture would harm your body if you don't move around in a day.

Is it worth it to set up an ergonomics home office?

Well, I would say this is worth of investment for your health in a long time. Trust me! You don't want to spend more on health maintenance in your later time. Prevention is better than cure. For now, I would continue with my planning and slowly implement my dream ergonomic home office.😔

If you are looking for good ergonomic home office furniture in Malaysia, you may have deep dive into Evis website. Evis is a well-known pioneer and no.1 for Adjustable Table & Smart Standing Desk in Malaysia.