16 WebsiteCompass The medical and ergonomics communities offer the following guidelines for setting up your home office so it’s a comfortable place to spend time. 1. Make sure your chair provides lumbar support. Take a seat at your desk. With your back pressed against the backrest, do the lower and middle sections of your back feel cushioned, or are there gaps between your spine and the chair? The best office chairs support the natural S-curve of your back. If you don’t want to invest in a chair with lumbar support, a lumbarsupport pillow and a seat cushion on a basic chair is the next best thing. Adjust your chair’s height so your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs are parallel to the floor. 2. Carefully locate your keyboard and mouse. Place your keyboard and mouse close to you, so you don’t have to stretch to reach them. Your keyboard should be directly in front of you when you use it. Try to keep your wrists straight, upper arms close to your body, and hands at or slightly below the level of your elbows. Adjust the sensitivity of your mouse so that you move as little as possible to operate it, and use keyboard shortcuts to reduce extended mouse use. 3. Get a phone headset if you talk on the phone frequently. A phone headset will leave your hands free for other tasks such as keyboarding. It will also prevent awkward neck positions—such as perching your phone between your shoulder and your ear Home Offices Can Be a Pain in the Neck Here’s how to set up an ergonomic workspace Ergonomics is the science of designing workspaces and equipment to fit the person using them. It’s especially important to pay attention to ergonomics if you work from home regularly or spend many hours at your computer for any reason, since doing so can reduce muscle aches and pains and help prevent injuries. Beyond the Basics
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