Are ergonomics too easily forgotten in remote work?
Remote working on the home sofa, at the kitchen table or even on the boards of the sauna has been the new everyday life of office and thinking workers for the past year. Did you switch to remote work when the corona pandemic started last year? Have you thought about the overall ergonomics of your home office?
This blog is a scratch on the surface of ergonomics, but we hope that it serves as a wake-up call and a reminder for each of us. Let's take care of our body.
Home offices were moved quite quickly last year. For many, remote working was completely new, and when you couldn't even find a suitable office room or furniture at home, you had to come up with creative solutions. The workstations were tuned by everyone, even if you could see the vertical tables made of banana boxes in the social media posts.
You don't need to get expensive electric tables or saddle chairs for your home, creative solutions are just fine. You just have to take care of the ergonomics they offer. There are a few tips for this at the end of the blog.
We are holistic, so ergonomics is also holistic
As a concept, ergonomics means the interaction between technology (computers, phones, etc.) and human activity, which improves safety, well-being, health and the functionality of systems. The definition of ergonomics includes not only physical ergonomics but also cognitive ergonomics, i.e. a person's cognitive ability, attentiveness, observation, memory and thinking ability. In addition to these, there is also organizational ergonomics, which is the organization of work thought out by the employer and the choices of technical solutions.
The best result for your own well-being and coping is obtained when the work is viewed from all three perspectives. We are holistic, so ergonomics should also be thought of holistically.
In the workplace, ergonomics is usually planned together with a physiotherapist. Workspaces, tools, and processes are thought out in such a way that they are suitable for as many people as possible. For example, the working position, the right height of the work station and the location in relation to the lighting in the room are considered more individually. In order for the operating environment at the workplace to be successful, ergonomics must be understood in its broad overall concept.
The above also applies to remote work. And in the home office, the importance of physical and cognitive ergonomics is particularly emphasized.
What happens to the body if ergonomics gets forgotten?
The most common problem with remote work is certainly a bad working posture. You may be sitting in the most unusual positions on the couch or in a recliner with the computer on your lap, or the workstation furniture is not right and the sitting position needs to be repaired.
As a result of poor working posture and sitting in the same position for a long time, the neck-shoulder area is stuck and the lower back is stiff, especially for those people who already have some musculoskeletal symptoms. In the back and neck-shoulder area, you may feel aching, there may be muscle stiffness, and the muscles may ache and feel tired. The arms may feel heavy and when blood circulation is blocked, the fingers may start to tingle. The arms are stressed especially when the support of the elbows in the working position is not sufficient. This is easily done, for example, when sitting on the sofa.
Have you noticed such symptoms while working at home and you know that they are not caused by training or other physical exercise? In that case, it is good to check home ergonomics.
You should change your position during the day and, if possible, you should also do end work while standing. A good rule of thumb is to get up and move every hour, and if you don't remember, you can set a reminder on your phone or computer calendar.
Pause jogging is an excellent way to prevent hangovers caused by sitting. There are a lot of good instructions on the internet for break jogging. If necessary, consult a physiotherapist if you feel that your body is being burdened despite the breaks and break jogging.
A good working posture is individual for everyone, but the rule of thumb is that the posture should be relaxed and it should be good and supportive. In terms of the ergonomics of remote work, it is important to find suitable work tools and furniture for your body.
If you are not sure how to organize your home workstation or what solutions you can use to find the right working position even for remote work, an occupational physiotherapist will also provide guidance and advice on the ergonomics of the remote office.
Recovery from brain work is extremely important
Due to the corona pandemic, many organizations and employees have had to face a huge digital leap at a fast pace and learn how to use new tools, adopt a completely new work culture.
In a home office, it is also easy to immerse yourself in work and forget to take breaks. With Teams, a comment thrown by a colleague no longer acts as an interruption to a long drill in the same way as in the office corridor. The transition to digital communication also seems to have caused an increase in the already huge flood of information, when messages rush in from so many different channels that it becomes impossible to keep up - the brain gets overloaded.
In addition to changing the working position and taking a break from sitting, the brain also needs a break. We in Finland often have a slightly too Conscientious work culture and work is grinded on without breaks. However, the break is legal and for good reason. But who watches over the remote work break, if not the employee himself?
Our bodies and brains are simply not capable of working without breaks. Work efficiency, productivity and creativity suffer. A mind focused on thinking needs a change from time to time. Do you remember the instruction where it is said that sometimes it would be good to look out the window as far as the eye can see? The instruction is good. During the break, it's good to move your eyes away from the blue light on the display terminal and get the blood circulating. If the weather is good, it's worth going outside for a while in the fresh air.
Oxygen jump works wonders. It is often possible to go for a walk during a remote meeting as well, but even if you go for a walking meeting during the working day, it is still good to give your brain some recovery time just by going outside, doing hobbies or doing something else that is meaningful to you that is not related to work.
Have you noticed that the line between working at home and free time might be blurring? It's still good to stick to routines, i.e. change your nightgown to day clothes and schedule your work day as you would in the office. You should also stick to the lunch break, it is easily forgotten in the absorption of remote work.
Any kind of exercise after a working day is important for both the brain and the whole body; for muscles, joints and blood circulation.
Tips for good remote work
- Sit all the way to the back of the chair so you can support your back straight. You can put a firm pillow behind your back. This way the lumbar spine stays in good posture.
- Change your working position at least once an hour.
- Keep your neck straight, shoulders down and pallets behind, try to limit working with your head bent forward.
- When sitting on the couch, put a big enough pillow under the laptop so that you can support your arms against the pillow.
- Stand up occasionally. Place the laptop on top of a tall chest of drawers or make a pile of books on the table. Nowadays, you can also get supports and platforms for laptops that can be placed on the table.
- If possible, go for a walk in nature during a remote meeting or phone conference.
- Remember the breaks and the break jump!
- Finish work on time and go for a walk at the end of the working day.