3 DIY Ergonomics Tips for Remote Workers

If you or your employees are working remotely, be sure they are working comfortably, pain-free, and efficiently with these DIY Tips.

Of course, as ergonomics experts, we recommend consulting with your local ergonomics company for best results. In fact, we must recommend Solutions Northwest’s $50 Virtual Ergonomics Assessment that allows you to speak with an ergonomics consultant over e-mail, phone, or video call to setup your workstation.

There are many tips and recommendations to cover in order to make sure your workstation ergonomically sound. For now, check out these 3 do-it-yourself solutions for working from home.

1. Make sure your laptop screen is at the proper, ergonomic height.

Ideally, your laptop screen should be centered directly in front of you. This way, you can sit in your chair and look straight forward. Otherwise, you will strain your neck and back as you twist to the right or left to look at the screen.

A laptop stand is great to get your screen height adjusted, but you can do it yourself with a stack of books, a waste basket, that empty amazon box, or even a stack of paper. Additionally, you can raise your seating position by sitting on a pillow, towels, or folded blankets.

Be sure to consult our guide on the perfect monitor height here: https://www.solutionsnw.com/2019/10/28/the-ergonomic-way-to-sit-at-your-desk-and-view-your-monitor/

2. Do-it-yourself keyboard and mouse tray.

Your monitor should be 18-24 inches away from you. Sit back in your chair and reach out toward your monitor – it should be about an arm’s length away.

If your monitor is too close, try using a desk with a drawer. Having a desk drawer is great because you can simply put a board on the drawer and use it for a mouse and keyboard tray.

Having a tray like this will allow you stay a proper distance from your monitor and with proper posture.

3. Need to take a break from sitting? Try this Do-it-Yourself Standing Desk idea.

You should always take a break and adjust your position every 20-30 minutes. Mixing standing and sitting into your work is a great way to relieve stress on your body. If you’re working remotely for the first time, chances are that you don’t have a standing desk.

A creative way to make yourself a standing desk is to use an ironing board either on the floor, a counter-top, or a table. Decide what is best for you depending on your height.

You want the top of the ironing table surface to be a half-inch to an inch below your standing elbow height. Standing elbow height is measured when the arms are bent at a right angle from the floor to the bottom of the elbow.

Obviously, a keyboard and a laptop stand won’t fit on an ironing board, so you should only do this in short durations to take a break from sitting. If you want to do this for longer periods, consider using boxes or books on a counter and plugging a keyboard and mouse into your laptop.

In conclusion, take ergonomics seriously while working remotely or from home.

All the solutions offered here are do-it-yourself solutions, but there are plenty of items you can purchase online as well. For example, you can look for an ergonomics keyboard and mouse or purchase a sit-stand laptop stand.

Additionally, we must recommend Solutions Northwest’s $50 Virtual Ergonomics Assessment that allows you to speak with an ergonomics consultant over e-mail, phone, or video call to customize your workstation specifically for your needs.

As always, please browse our ergonomics blog for more advice about safety and comfort in the workplace.

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

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