Design work usually entails you to sit in front of a computer during work hours, and we bet you rarely look up from your screen every so often when you’re immersed in what you’re doing. Many of us in the design and graphics industry know body pain all too well – from the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome, to the aching feeling of neck pain.
More often than not, we feel our bodies are aging due to the joint pain, but that joint pain is usually caused by unnatural and uncomfortable working conditions in the office. If you notice, you tend to stiffen up while doing work; either due to stress or your body’s way to support the unnatural position you’re in.
By building up an ergonomic and hassle-free work setup, you can minimize the stress on your joints, and still get your work done by the end of the day. You’ll feel less tired, and more productive as your body shifts into a more comfortable position during your workday.
Worried about the cleanup? Don’t be! There are plenty of ways you can clean your ergonomic workspace, as well as cleaning companies that do the sanitizing for you. We recommend Luce Office in Singapore for your office cleaning needs.
Check out their website here: https://www.luceoffice.sg/services/office-cleaning
Chest-level Table or Countertop
The problem of a low surface or desk is that your body tends to put pressure on your back, as you arch down to meet your screen at chest level. Getting a table that is at chest level lifts up your work items, and keeps you balanced and sturdy as you go about your day.
As a result, your body improves its posture, and you’ll feel less sore after sitting in front of the monitor all day. A chest-level table also allows you to comfortably put your head down for a power nap in the middle of the day without feeling like your body got crushed by a bulldozer afterwards!
Elevated Laptop or Monitor Stand
We all know that looking at a monitor all day can be stressful for your eyes, so we tend to look away for short periods of time between designing and work. A low monitor, however, can cause stress on your back, shoulders, and neck as well, and is a leading cause of chronic neck pain for many working individuals.
Using an elevated laptop or monitor stand brings up the screen to eye level, relieving the pressure put on your joints from looking down at the monitor. At a natural eye level, your muscles are at a relaxed position, and are less likely to feel sore after a long day’s work of staring at a screen.
Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse
Even though your laptop has its own keyboard, it’s not often ergonomic, and can put pressure on your shoulder and neck joints as you adjust your body to conform to your laptop’s built-in keyboard. A separate bluetooth keyboard and mouse keeps your shoulders at their natural level, so you don’t have to strain yourself chasing that one rogue pixel.
Use a Standing Desk or Comfortable Chair
Office chairs aren’t typically comfortable, and they used to be made uncomfortable on purpose to get employees to be more alert and work harder. Yikes! Fortunately, we’re now understanding how ergonomic office equipment is helpful around the workplace, as they offer the comfort that keeps you focused and ready to tackle daily tasks.
Choose the right office chair that suits your natural sitting position, as well as your weight and height for a comfortable, but not relaxed, setup. If you’re into the standing desk trend, then make sure you consider your height when choosing a standing desk, and get one that you can comfortably work on.
Place Cabinets under your Desk
Standing or sitting, having your files at a convenient location minimizes the hassle of having to search for them when you need them. Conveniently placed under your desk, cabinets hold the tools and documents you may need throughout the day, and keeps them organized by importance.
Ample Lighting
Let’s be honest, we love designing in the dark. For many of us, it feels natural, and we can see the colours clearer in the pitch black darkness of the background. However, it doesn’t work well on our eyes over time, as the bright light coming from our laptops can be straining. As much as possible, keep ample lighting around to minimize eye strain.
Stress Reducers
Best of all, we recommend stress reducers like fidget toys, noise-cancelling headphones, or other items that would help ease the stress of that one demanding client ruining your day. But really, we don’t often feel the stress of work creep up on us as it piles up over time.
Keeping stress reducers around recalibrates our mental state, and helps us to better focus on what we need to do so we’re not overwhelmed.
Does a fidget spinner help? Go ahead and fidget while you work! Need some calming music? Get noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear it better! Got the munchies when you’re stressed? Keep some snacks around for those days that you just can’t get by without a little sweet pick-me-up!
