There is nothing worse than having pain all day while you're working. You're trapped at your desk, but you've got a stack of to-do's that you've got to power through. Suddenly, you're noticing some pain that wasn't there before. Sound like you? It could be the way you are working is causing your wrist, back and neck aches.
I'm not going to list all the studies that have proven the way we work is causing wrist, back and neck problems. Just do a bit of googling and you'll be overwhelmed with what you find. What I will do, however, is list a few quick adjustments you can make to the way you're working to alleviate some of that pain.
I'll start with the way you SHOULD work…
This will sound like you're a student at school again but:
-Sit up straight
-Keep feet planted on the floor (adjust your desk chair height if need be)
-Your computer/monitor should be slightly above eye level
STOP working this way…
-Slouching in your seat
-Shoulders tense and raised to your ears
-Hunched over your laptop
-Chair height too high and letting your feet dangle
-Monitor too tall, too short or too far away
In addition to noticing how you work, get up every 30 minutes and take a quick stroll around the office. Your body is not meant to sit in a chair for 8 hours straight; that's part of the reason so many desk workers have wrist, neck and back pain. Take calls while standing or walking, or do other tasks (while on the phone) that don't actually require you sitting at your desk (i.e., bring that stack of papers to the recycle bin.)
The more motion you have, the better you will feel overall.
Are any of you dealing with this? If so, what are you doing to help?
-Sayeh, The Office Stylist