10 Ergonomics Dos and Don’ts For Those Now Working from Home

Wellness

10 Ergonomics Dos and Don’ts for Those Now Working from Home

Tips for making sure you stay safe and comfortable in your temporary workspaces

April 1, 2020
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In an effort to stem the number of coronavirus infections, millions of Americans are now working from home, transforming kitchen tables and bedrooms into temporary home offices. Many are working under less-than-ideal ergonomic conditions—a kitchen chair that’s too low, a table that’s too high. You get the idea. Poor ergonomics can make or break your work-from-home experience. 

With that in mind, BU Today reached out to Carolyn Herkenham, a Boston University Environmental Health & Safety senior specialist and industrial hygienist, and licensed physical therapist Kelly Pesanelli (CGS’94, Sargent’96,’98), a Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences lecturer in health sciences, for some tips and tricks to help you create an ergonomic workstation at home.

DON’T hunch over your laptop

An illustration of a man hunched over a computer
Fit the backrest curvature of your chair to the small of the lower back to avoid lumbar discomfort. Illustration by EgudinKa/iStock

It’s easy to work on your laptop for a few hours on the weekend, but doing so for 40-plus hours a week can lead to back, shoulder, and neck strain. If you can, use an external monitor or laptop stand (with an external keyboard and mouse) to prop up your screen. When looking at the screen, your eye line should be level with the address bar on your web browser.

DO work at an appropriate height

Find a working height so that your elbows naturally fall flush with your table/desk height. This will promote better wrist alignment rather than impingement or carpal tunnel stress.

DO use an office chair if possible

Adjustable features on an office task chair will save you from lumbar and neck discomfort.

An illustration of a person using a standing desk
When sitting or standing, elbows should be at a 90-degree angle to make wrists as straight as possible. Illustration courtesy of Humanscale Consulting

DON’T give up on your current chair

If you don’t have the option of an office chair, there are some household items you can use to help you adjust. Putting a firm cushion or tightly folded towel under your buttocks will raise your hips and increase the curve of your spine, making sitting more comfortable.

DON’T let your feet dangle

Place your feet on a few books or boxes under your desk, so that your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor and your hips are slightly higher than your knees. This will reduce stress on your lumbar spine. 

DO follow the 20/20/20 rule 

For every 20 minutes spent looking at a computer screen, you should spend 20 seconds looking at something else 20 feet away. This gives your eye muscles a break and helps reduce eye strain.

An illustration of a woman at a desk that outlines the 20-20-20 rule
An image illustrating the 20/20/20 rule. Illustration courtesy of JustStand.org

DON’T turn your couch into a workstation

As tempting as it is, the couch is not an optimal place to work at your computer for the entire day. Although it may be comfortable, having your legs or full body in a vertical position can lead to muscle numbness and discomfort.

DO customize a space to fit you

Try to set up a workstation that you can make entirely your own. Sharing a workstation means you need to adjust your computer height, chair, and furniture every time you sit down. Often, you may choose to skip adjusting the workstation altogether. If you are the only person using the space, customizing will reduce the time and discomfort of sitting at a station that does not fit you.

DON’T skip lunch and make sure you stay hydrated

It’s easy to snack throughout the day instead of eating like you did in the office. Making a meal and staying hydrated gives you the opportunity to stand up, walk around, and let your eyes have a rest from the computer screen.

DO make sure you get up and walk around

The goal is to get in as many steps as possible during the day, even if you are at home instead of on campus.

If you are interested in speaking to a BU Environmental Health & Safety professional, you can fill out an ergonomics self-assessment here.

Carolyn Herkenham can be reached at cherkenh@bu.edu. Kelly Pesanelli can be reached at kpesan@bu.edu.



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There are 51 comments on 10 Ergonomics Dos and Don’ts for Those Now Working from Home

    1. Great point, Leslie. I am an ESL professor but I didn’t notice the mistake. I think you’re right: The author should have written “horizontal or reclined”. Then it would make sense.

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  7. In my experience, finding the best chair takes some time and effort, but it’s worth it. Before I found an ergonomic chair that worked for me, I suffered from neck strains and shoulder aches routinely. My working hours became comfier and more fun ever since I invested in an ergonomic chair.

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  10. A lot of people cannot afford a monitor, let alone a laptop. Many suggestions here are fine for the wealthy but what about students who may have budget constraints?
    I don’t think I can afford an external monitor at this time either. What do you recommend for those that can’t afford your solutions? I’m concerned about hunching over my laptop!

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    1. Sometimes we need to be resourceful persons with all the stuff we have at home.

      For example, we can pile some books in order to put the laptop a little bit higher and avoid buying a new desk. We can use some pillows to make the chairs more comfty or even cleaning the table or desk to work in a nice place.
      Having a schedule even if we are at home can make our days more organized and productive.

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      1. Thanks for the suggestion, Lupe. I’m afraid the angle of my elbow will not be 90 degrees. I think Kelly’s solution of buying an external keyboard is the cheapest way to improve my workstation. What do you think?
        I definitely use pillows and books for my chair in the kitchen! Great ideas!
        I also use a shoebox to support my feet since I’m short:)

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        1. The external keyboard would be my 2nd suggestion.

          My first would be an external monitor, because they add so much to your productivity.

          Keep email open on one, and your active work on the other. Or copy material from a document on one monitor to a PowerPoint on the other monitor. Etc, Etc.
          Once start using a second monitor, you will absolutely Love it.

          If you can’t afford the 24″ monitor at $119, you can get a new 19″ monitor for $60 or a used 19″ on eBay or Amazon for $30.

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    2. I think people with laptop who cannot afford an external monitor, could make changes with the table. Maybe they can afford a little personal table with variables heights and try the best fit for them. The problem is what happen if they can afford a table?

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      1. A lot of my furniture, I get off the street so these are great ideas, Melania. In the Bay Area, people are always moving. You can also find free stuff on Craigslist!
        I’m thinking a keyboard is cheaper than a monitor so I’ll put my laptop on my printer and attach a keyboard. I might be able to get a keyboard for free. Lots of computer equipment is disposed of. So, I would also be helping the environment and preventing it from going into the landfill!

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    3. I think this article helped me a lot to take into account that comfort is important for productivity, adding to the point you mention it is necessary to think that temporary space is different for everyone, and we are looking for a more comfortable space a possible solution is to measure the time we are in front of the monitor and take breaks very often, use everything we have at home to make our space healthier.

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  14. The 20/20/20 rule is helping me a lot now. I’ve heard about this and forgotten it. This article reminds me to follow this rule I need the most right now. Thanks for the article.

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  15. Great advice! I started to use a laptop stand (with an external keyboard and mouse) to prop up my screen and I feel great and I have less pain in my back. I recommend it.

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  16. make great space home sometimes is not possible . Yes, is truth make great how is possible. Writing I do on table . Some assessments I am able to do from bed.

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  18. Thanks to those tips, working from home is less stressfull and monotonous.

    Usually, I start my day with some exercise, meditation or yoga. Also lighting some scented candles or even being in the computer standing up make a difference and change my daily routine.

    A good advice is to go for a walk while I am on a call (those calls I don´t need to turn the camera on), it is a different environment and at least I move my body.

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      1. Hi Barbara!

        I haven´t heard about that App.
        I know Down Dog, a very complete app that offers Yoga (all levels), Meditation and even Tabatas!

        I don´t know how to meditate, because my mind and thoughts go everywhere when I am trying to do it, but I least I try it haha :p

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        1. One can start with simple focused breathing with closed eyes. Just focus on the flow of your breath, observe it going in and out at your own pace. Do not bother about your mind wandering, bring back your focus and attention to the flow of your breath. Start slow, 3-5 mins. With practice you would be able to achieve a better state.

          Meditation need not be about sitting in a difficult posture for longer periods. Enjoy it.

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  19. Definitely I need the 20/20 rule. I need to stand up frequently because I like to be hydrated and this force you to leave your seat and go to the bathroom :)

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  20. I think I’ll put everything into practice especially. I’ll follow the 20/20/20 rule, for every 20 minutes on a computer screen, I should spend 20 seconds looking at something else from 20 feet away.

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    1. Do you set a timer, Maya? How do you remember to follow the 20/20/20 rule? I work next to a window and I like looking out the window. I think it would be more difficult if I was in an office without a window.

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  21. Well, I think all people who works at home needs to know this tips, because I have heard some organizations that provide their employees the basics condition for work at home, and they give them training and tips for be productive.

    But many people who study, entrepreneurs and self employees don’t know about stay safe and comfortable in your temporary workspaces. Therefore this tips are very useful for every people.

    For example for me was interesting 20/20 rule because when I’m working or studying I’m very concentrated but I need to apply this rule.

    Thank you so much…

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  22. I will be follow the 20/20/20 rule
    for every 20 minutes spent looking at a computer screen and should spend 20 seconds looking at something else 20 feet away. This gives your eye muscles a break and helps reduce eye strain. It’s very important to protect our eyes.

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  23. This is the first time I heard about 20/20/20 rule. I think this rule helps me a lot. Protecting my eyes. Let me have enough time to relax my eyes.

    I also think the rule of “don’t skip lunch and make sure you stay hydrated” is also important. When I have something to do, I often forget to drink water or just eat some snacks for lunch. So I need to change my way and set up more healthy way.

    Thank you for sharing this great article.

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  24. I totally agree with the recommendations on this article, especially with the one regarding to not skipping lunch and stay hydrated, because, sometimes, when you are very busy, you could forget to have lunch or even drink water, but skipping meals has more negative effects and and the end it won’t save you a lot of time and could make you work slower and getting tired faster.

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  25. I think this is a new way to do our job or a new way to study but as Lupe says you have to find a way to get more comfortable working at home, also I think that formula 20/20/20 sounds amazing and is an excellent way to avoid to be tired and stressed, I hope we can go back to the regular ways to do all thing but right we have to do our best to continue being productive.

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  26. This is a good article! When you use a computer, it is very important to sit correctly and walk properly. I have cervical spine and shoulder problems. In fact, this is related to some of my bad behavior. I have learned more from it. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. I totally agree, Kelly. This is a good article and the ergonomics about all Dos and Don’ts really help us when we work with the computer in these days. My wife also had a shoulder problem because of working with the computer long time. That’s because she didn’t follow all dos and don’ts rules. Now she is practicing and it will help her in the future. Thank you for sharing, Kelly.

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  27. This ergonomic Dos and Don’ts article is totally amazing and useful for me. Before reading this article, I use my computer (laptop) every where I want and I found out that I couldn’t concentrate more than 15, 20 minutes. After I tried to practice with this ergonomic Dos and Don’ts, I noticed that it’s really helpful and I can pay more attention to the things (reading news, doing homework assignments) on the computer more than an hour. Of course, every 20 minutes, I practiced 20/20/20 technique and it made me relax to keep doing. I really appreciate Barbara for sharing this website to be comfortable using with the computer.

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  28. Thank you for sharing this article, which is super helpful. I used to have a shoulder problem, I thought it’s because of sitting too long. After reading your suggestion, I realize that it’s because my table height is not proper. Also, the 20/20/20 rule is new for me. I used to set a reminder on my Apple Watch, after sitting for more than 40 minutes, it would remind me to stand up and walk around. It’s helpful since time passes quickly when working before we notice it. Now I will set a new reminder to give my eye muscles a break.

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  29. It was a such interesting article. I didn’t know about some of this tips before.
    Now that I spent most of my days in front of the computer I’m going to be implementing this tips. For example
    DO follow the 20/20/20 rule “For every 20 minutes spent looking at a computer screen, you should spend 20 seconds looking at something else 20 feet away”.

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  31. I consider this article very useful.
    It gives us 10 advice for working more comfortable from our homes.
    Even though, in our our homes, we could have several chairs and sofas, we better use an office chair for good posture (“body position”).
    Also, it is important to plan your “office work” at home. By doing that, you will have enough time to complete all your task.

    Hector Carrillo

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  32. Ergonomists and environmental health and safety professionals saw the potential pitfalls of home office ergonomics nearly as soon as traditional offices emptied out in early 2020. Boston University published this list on April 1, 2020, “ 10 Ergonomics Dos and Don’ts for Those Now Working from Home. ” A few months later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued this overview, “ Working from Home: How to Optimize Your Work Environment and Stay Healthy. ”

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