In today’s working from home reality, the way we set up our home office is more important than ever. As a result of the pandemic, offices emptied and we all took a tiny area of our homes and attempted to turn them into makeshift offices. We made do with what we had, without any of the proper office offerings many employers now provide. In pre-pandemic days there’s a chance we all longed to work in the comfort of our homes, while we were stuck in a sterile office environment. But there’s a reason that offices are set up with cubicles instead of couches. “Your sofa and bed, while comfy in the moment, are terrible locations to spend eight hours a day” notes Pamela Geisel, M.S., C.S.C.S., manager of performance services at the Hospital for Special Surgery.(1)
Remote workers have now realized that a home office that isn't ergonomically correct can be detrimental to their bodies. Ergonomics is a term that came into our lives about the same time as social distancing. Ergonomics is defined as: “An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely.”(2) “Working from home, for most people, is not ideal for ergonomics” says Amir Khastoo, D.P.T., a physical therapist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Performance Therapy in Santa Monica, California.(3) As people started adjusting their work areas to be ergonomically friendly, they began to benefit from increased productivity, more comfort and less injury and pain. Although it isn't always possible to duplicate your office setup right in your home, there are several things you can do to make your workspace a safe and affordable space.