How to Create an Ergonomic Workstation at Home

The pandemic has moved home working away from an increasing trend to a necessity for many employees. Many workers have moved their office work to the home, but many homes aren’t equipped to facilitate working quite like the office!

Makeshifts desks and dining room chairs are doubling up as office furniture for those without a home office, but these furniture items aren’t designed with remote ergonomics in mind. Spending prolonged periods of time with these setups and without the right support can lead to long-term health problems, so it’s important to take remote ergonomic considerations seriously! Take a look below for some of our tactics for creating an ergonomic workstation at home.

Best ergonomic practices for working from home

1. Temporary Footrest

The positioning of your feet, legs and hips is extremely important when it comes to creating an ergonomic workstation setup remotely.

It's recommended that your knees bend at a 90-degree angle to relieve pressure to your legs and promote healthy circulation. If this position brings your feet away from the floor, a footrest can help to restore good positioning. Footrests are affordable and easy to buy online after a quick Google search, but it’s also easy to create a DIY footrest at home. Stack some spare books to create a makeshift footrest and create an ergonomic workstation at home!

2. Adjust the Positioning of Your Laptop Screen

If you're working remotely, you're most likely using a laptop. The positioning of your screen is hugely important, but laptops aren’t normally designed with this in mind. Ideally, your screen should be placed directly in front of your eye line to avoid you having to tilt your head to view it.

If you have access to a keyboard and mouse, consider stacking some books below your laptop to create a makeshift laptop stand and bring your screen up to eye level. However, if you don’t have a keyboard and mouse to hand, tilt your screen upwards slightly to minimise neck strain and improve its position in your field of vision. This small step will help you to create a more ergonomic workstation at home!

3. DIY Back Support

One of the most important features of an ergonomic desk chair is the wonderful support it provides to your back. Taking this support away for long periods of working away from the office means that your back is no longer receiving the valuable support it needs, which can have a long-lasting effect on your posture and health.

The ideal scenario is to invest in a supportive home office chair. Employers still have a responsibility to care for the wellbeing of staff whilst they are working from home, and home working as a result of the pandemic has brought an opportunity for businesses to assess the needs of their employees working remotely. Investing in quality home office furniture for staff is a brilliant way of caring for their welfare. Take a look at our home office furniture offering.

However, there is a short-term fix to help you improve your remote ergonomic workstation in the absence of the correct furniture. Simply grab a cushion and place it between your back and your chair. This will offer some support and comfort to your lower back, and you'll likely find that you're able to sit comfortably for far longer than would be possible without it.

4. Take Breaks

Ergonomic practices are there to support and look after your body, but it's important that you listen to how your body is feeling. If your back is becoming uncomfortable or your neck is starting to hurt, take a break.

It's far more productive to take frequent breaks and release the pressure to your body than it is to endure it and become distracted and disgruntled by those annoying aches and pains!

Transform Your Home Office into an Ergonomic Workstation

If you’re a regular work from home-er or plan to become one, or you’re a business owner or manager with a workforce that is now working remotely, it’s worth investing in the right ergonomic furniture to support your work and employees.

The likes of a laptop stand and supportive chair will be great additions to your home office, and you can work happily knowing that you have an ergonomic workstation. Take a look at Mayo Clinic’s positioning advice to help you maintain an ergonomic position.

We partner with some of the best commercial furniture suppliers on the market, and we’ve curated a selection of home furniture items we can source for you and your team. Click here to read more about our offering!