Ergonomics is an important concept in a workplace where companies pay too little attention to. A good working posture is ultimately important in order to be able to perform well. The smallest improvements already have an advantageous effect on your way of working.
Learn to sit
In the office you will be sitting on your chair for 6 to 8 hours in a row. The burden of your neck, shoulders and back pain is all related to a bad sitting posture. It is still quite difficult to develop a good sitting posture and especially to stick to it on a daily basis.
Below you will find some of the most important tips:
- First you need an office chair that is adjustable on various parts of the chair.
- Your spine has a natural s-shape. Try to keep this shape, by trying not to lean on anything. Pulling the shoulders back helps to prevent them from being bent.
- Make sure that your legs are on the ground at a 90-degree angle and that you do not rest them on the legs of the chair.
- Place your computer screen at eye level to prevent neck complaints.
Move for a moment
Movement is important for the circulation of the body. Many complaints can be prevented by moving for a moment or by changing positions. A sit-stand desk is a good option for this. Try to change between a sitting and standing work position from time to time. It has been proven that standing work offers more concentration and at the same time your body has a good blood circulation. Instead of pausing for half an hour, try to take short breaks of 10 minutes. Your body gets more movement that way and mentally it is also good to briefly shift your attention to something else.
Trends
You can see more and more people working on a laptop, instead of a desktop computer. A laptop is easy to carry and is easily adjustable. The laptop is also used for both work and private life. The desktop computer gets often replaced for a laptop.
Measuring the performance instead of the hours that you did or did not make, for example not at the office but at a flex working space or even at your own home. This is an important part of the recent (Dutch) initiative ‘the new working’. By doing so, you can save travel time and costs, you have more control over your own work, etc. Yet there are also some drawbacks. You have fewer social contacts by working more at home. You could quickly get distracted and there is even a minor chance that could become a so called ‘workaholic’, thus spending far too much time on your work.
Green in the office
Research has shown that stress gets reduced to a great extent if you have green, like plants and flowers, in your working environment. In addition, plants can improve the air quality of the room. They absorb harmful substances and provide more oxygen in the room. Green can even fulfill an acoustic function. The leaves of the plants can let sound through, but are able to mute it as well. Enough reasons to choose some green friends for your office space!
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