Health and Wellness: Making Our Workstations Work!

There are many ways to focus on your health and wellness at work.  One way is to make sure your space is meeting your ergonomic needs.  Many people go to work and accept their workstation as a fixed factor at work — and not something that is particularly flexible.

Here are some ideas that support your workplace comfort:

First, learn about ergonomic assessments and whether your organization offers them. For example, an ergonomic evaluation will help you learn whether there are better ways to set up your computer and other office tools so your work doesn’t take such a toll on your body.  If you work in an industrial environment, there may be ways to adjust the equipment to prevent repetitive stress injuries, or simply make your work station more comfortable to improve your efficiency.

Second, if you use a computer, learn more about the benefits of computer ergonomics and ergonomic design – and take a trip to your local computer supply store to learn about the options available. The famous mouse and basic keyboard have significantly evolved to address the different needs of different human bodies. If you have not been peripheral shopping recently, you may be surprised!

Here’s a tool to assess your work area:

Third, take breaks! Your body needs time to recover from repetitive activity — use breaks to take a walk, really concentrate on enjoying lunch or just connecting with other people.  Getting creative about new places to go and new things to do on a break sparks your innovation and imagination, which does nothing but help you when you get back to your desk.

Finally, be open about what you learn about ergonomics as part of a larger conversation about health and wellness in the workplace. If you lead the pack by learning about your organization’s support resources for ergonomic assessment and design, share those resources with others — you can directly help make your workplace a happier healthier place!