Work At Home Ergonomics

Part of working from home is knowing your limitations, and working to your best potential.

I discovered a long time ago that I work best in the afternoons.  However, due to my family situation (i.e. my grandchildren living with me), afternoons do not fit my lifestyle.

So I’ve had to work around it.

I suggest you work out your optimal working time from the onset, and if possible, work during those times.  The end result should be more production, and more enthusiasm on your part.  In addition to knowing your best working times, there are a few things you can do to help your energy levels, as well as assisting with your general well-being.

Sound strange?

Maybe, but as writers, we sit on our butts for most of the day.  That means exercise can be minimal.

Here are a few things I do daily to ensure my energy levels are high, and I don’t experience fatigue:

*Take regular breaks (i.e. lunch, morning and afternoon tea) – concentration wanes when you work for too long.  Regular breaks help your energy levels, as well as your concentration.

* Always break for lunch – eat healthy foods, and eat away from the computer.  I always leave my office to eat, and to take my breaks.  Sure, I will drink tea at my desk, but not when I’m on a break.

*Rest your eyes.  Eye damage is prevalent in people who work from home. You should look away from the computer at least every 30 minutes, and if possible, walk away.

* Stretches – Do regular stretches every 30 minutes or so.  I have software loaded onto my computer that reminds me to stretch.  I organized a free trial of the software, which you can download from the Writer2Writer site.  I’m not sure if it’s still available to buy as a full version, but this will at least get you started. Download the free trial software here

Looking After Your Eyes:

As mentioned above, eye damage is very high amongst those who look at computer screens for many hours each day. What I learned is anyone using a computer must ensure the screen is one arm’s length away from them.  However, you will need to consult your optometrist or other eye professional to confirm this.

My optometrist prescribed glasses that are made for this purpose.  It means those glasses are not suitable for close reading, but I prefer to have two pairs of glasses, than to damage my eyes further.  (I have very bad sight these days because my previous optometrist did not advise me about this issue.  The result is I can’t read anything without prescription glasses.)

Setting Up Your Desk:

Many writers and others who work at home have problems with their hands and arms. I’m no exception. I have ganglions on my right hand (my mouse hand), and suffer from pain in my arms and hands.

This is because I was unaware of the correct way to set up my chair and desk, and also didn’t take regular breaks.

Once aware of the problem, I did some research.

If you are in a financial position to do so, purchase an ergonomic chair to use in your office. You should be able to adjust the height, the angle of the back, and also the tilt of the part you sit on.

When adjusted, the chair should be set so your arms are even with the keyboard. (That is, at the same height as your keyboard.)

Often that means the chair height brings your feet up off the ground. This can affect your back, so you will need a foot rest An inexpensive alternative is a couple of telephone books – enough to have your feet sitting flat, and not dangling in the air. However, telephone books are flat, and ideally the footrest should be on an angle.

More on Energy Levels:

When I first started out I found my energy levels would decrease dramatically and suddenly. Instead of eating something that would last for an hour or more, I reached for chocolate or other sugary items.

Yes, it worked, and my energy levels increased. For a short period of time.

Then they dropped again, and I was back where I started.

What I learned was these sugar-filled items were giving me a quick energy boost, but that was all. As soon as the sugar hit wore off, my energy levels dropped again.

Because I want you to get the best possible result with your work at home venture, I have organized for you to receive (at no cost) a healthy eating sample pack

You will need to supply some details to the site in question, but this is because they need to know where to send your samples.

(Sorry, only for US residents are eligible for this. It’s out of my control, but if you visit
http://www.free-products-samples.com you may find some other samples that can be sent to you.)

I hope this information has been useful to you, and helps you to get your home-based business off the ground, or working more smoothly.