Top 10 Ergonomic Tips about Working From Home during a lockdown

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I have been constantly getting emails and messages regarding body aches and pains and other musculoskeletal disorders because of work from home.

Many people are struggling and facing major challenges to making their home environment work as offices, because of which they getting injured, so thought of sharing my 10 tips about working from home during this COVID time.

1. Create a proper workstation — It is crucial to set up a clean & comfortable workspace to work pain-free, which will also enhance your productivity & overall efficiency. Good Ergonomic workstation includes Table & Chair + other ergonomic tools like footrest, mouse rest, laptop stand if required. Also, look for a plain background wall just in case you get on a video call meeting.
2. Learn to transform your non-ergonomic workspace to an ergonomic one — You need not go to the store or online to buy fancy ergonomic products, rather you can easily make necessary changes whatever is available in your home and work pain-free. For instance, take a towel roll and keep it on the lower back to support while sitting, this way it will give you the support and also keep your spine in a neutral position.
3. Prioritize workflow — Try to organize your day in a way to enjoy yourself with your family and also your work routine. I use sticky notes and priority work which is most urgent and stick to the timeline.
4. Fewer distractions — While working from home it's easy to get distracted from so many things around us like TV, social media, news & body aches. Mindfulness is the key to limit unnecessary distractions.
5. Reducing sitting hours — Prolonged sitting has a good deal of health-related issues like back pain, indigestion, Cardiovascular problems, Pinched nerve & list going on. Pressure on the lower back increases to 40% against standing.In short Less Sitting = Less Back Pain
6. Minimize screen time — according to research studies, the impact that screen time has on Children’s developing brains, which is why I recommend parents also to limit screen time and educate their kids. So follow your previous work routine while working from home. Follow this popular rule 20/20/20 which explains you need to look 20 feet away after every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.
7. Be cognizant of your Postures — I always ask my patients to send their regular postures pictures because it's easy to make them understand where they are making mistakes. If you correct your postures, it will solve most of the problems so always be aware of your postures, even if you are physically fit.
8. Learn some preventive stretching exercises — studies show that frequent movement is just as important as higher intensity exercises for good health and stretching exercises are the best way to increase blood flow and reduce stiffness in the body. Do not take it lightly, please.
9. Lighting — Lighting is an integral part of Ergonomics. with the lighting, people are making mistakes by sitting against the light which can cause eyestrain but let me tell you one thing natural light is the best option show so so you can try to adjust your new workstation in front of a window. But, though, if you need more lighting, you can add.
10. Keep hydrating — Our body requires water, and during summers we should increase the frequency. Keep hydrating yourself with water, green tea or fruits to remove toxins from our body and also keeps us fresh.

Still, if you require further help, I am now offering Online consultation to prevent aches & pain via video conference.

In this, I will cover the basics of the Ergonomic workstations and guide you on how to set up your home office with all the resources you have at hand.

You will also get a written report with tailored recommendations and additional self-guidance resources.

Book in a session https://calendly.com/drdeepankar/online-consultation-for-body-pain