Alas, we spend too much time at work for it not to affect our health. An ergonomics specialist shares the basic rules for organizing the workspace: so that it is both convenient and not harmful for us to work.
For our well-being, a well-organized workplace is many times more important than regular exercise. Basic organization rules from ergonomics specialist* Peter Evstigneev.
Billiards, table tennis and sun loungers on the veranda in the Moscow office of Yandex. Tangerine trees in the corridors, a basketball court and a gym at Google headquarters. All this for most of us remains only a dream. Alas. Offices where employees like to come are a rarity. The lack of light and space, the “faceless” interior, uncomfortable furniture and ill-conceived furnishings increase fatigue, reduce efficiency and make the already not very useful sedentary work detrimental to health. “Several weeks of vacation a year, physical activity and a balanced menu are not able to fully compensate for this damage,” Petr Evstigneev is sure. “After all, we spend at least 40 hours every week in an uncomfortable position, and we do sports much less.” And yet it is in our power to change the situation. A few basic tips on how to properly organize the workplace.
- Place a small pillow between your lower back and the back of your chair. This will help straighten the spine and remove the unnatural arch of the neck that impedes blood circulation and interferes with the normal flow of blood to the brain.
- Leave on the table only those items that you constantly use. This will free up space for the working hand. Her elbow should be on the table so that the tension in her shoulders does not increase. In addition, a clean desk helps to concentrate on the current task and complete it quickly and efficiently.
- Straighten your back and look straight ahead. The monitor should be at the level of your eyes so that you do not have to slouch all day. Put it on a raised platform. It can be a small bedside table or even a folder with printer paper.
- Adjust the chair height. It should be low enough so that both feet are firmly planted on the floor, and high enough so that they do not have to be pressed. Remove everything from under the table that interferes with your legs. If possible, sit with your knees wide apart. This normalizes blood flow and prevents the development of varicose veins.
- The right workplace should be well lit. Make sure that there are no glare on the monitor. A simple exercise will help unload the muscles of the eyes: from time to time, look at the wall or outside the window, move your eyes left and right and up and down. To relieve tension in your back, rotate your head and shoulders as soon as possible. More exercises to help relax your back and clear your head right on the job.
* Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that studies the influence of the characteristics of the workplace and the work process on the well-being and efficiency of the employee.
The right feng shui workplace
Directing all the energy to work is easier if you are sitting facing the front door (but not directly opposite it), and also the window is in your field of vision. Otherwise, attention will be scattered. If you are sitting facing a wall, hang a picture on it that depicts open space or a phoenix – symbols of great prospects and enticing opportunities. Rotate the table so you don’t have to face one of your colleagues.
It is good to put a flower in a pot on the table. His condition will reflect your physical and emotional well-being. It is believed that a withering plant is a sign of a lack of ideas. While abundant flowering is a signal that their owner has outgrown his position.