How Important is Computer Workstation Ergonomics?

Very Important. Ergonomics is a study of people in their work environment. At most, people spend 48 hours in their workplace in a week. And sometimes even more. You stick to your digital devices for long hours. Even after you are done with your work, you cling to your mobile phones, iPads or gaming devices for recreation. This long hour in front of devices and equally poor ergonomics can lead to many diseases.

Why is computer workstation ergonomics important?

Can you work on a computer that keeps shutting down all the time? Or can you work all day standing? Some work requires you to stand all day. However, if you are in front of computer devices and working all day standing or in a poor posture, you are sure to affect your health.

As much as your digital device is crucial for your work, your work comfort is also essential. You cannot work if your eyes hurt all day. Sure, computer glasses help big time. However, it’s not only your eyes that get affected by working on a computer.

If you are comfortable in your sitting position or workstation, you are more likely to be efficient. You are giving your best as you are not bothered by any discomfort.

How it affects your health?

Long hours in front of digital devices can affect your health adversely. Below are some of the health conditions that affect most people.

1. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects 3 to 6 per cent of the total population. This is a condition in which the median nerve of hands suffers numbness and pain. People who work on computers like graphic designers, writers, programmers are more likely to suffer from this syndrome.
2. Computer vision syndrome affects nearly 60 million people worldwide. Most people who work for abnormally long hours in front of computers suffer from one or more symptoms of computer vision syndrome. Blue light blocker glasses help reduce this syndrome to a lot extent. If you work on computers, you should protect your eyes from the harm of blue lights.
3. Back pain is another condition that can be attributed to workstation ergonomics. Sitting all day is the number one reason for back pain. It is also one of the most common reasons for missed work. As such, it accounts for 264 million lost workdays in a year.
4. Neck pain is suffered by almost all computer users. If you are a computer user and haven’t experienced neck pain yet, you are sure to feel them sooner or later.
5. Internet addiction is another side effect of using digital devices. Expressly, when you are overly reliant on these gadgets. You seek recreation on your phone, keep tabs on your friends and scroll social media all day long. Gaming releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine in your brain. You are elated because of this. You keep using your device as it makes you feel good.
6. Stress is another mental health condition that modern-day gadgets can give. Gadgets can give you feel-good chemicals but also devoid you of them. If you are chased with deadlines, hectic work schedules, having a phone as a reminder beside you will stress you out.
7. Burnout Syndrome is one of the negative effects of hectic work modules. There are many reasons contributing to these syndromes. A better ergonomics in workplace can reduce this.

How to improve your workstation?

Improving the ergonomics of your workstation can have a positive effect on you. Many people believe in Vastu Shastra — an age-old belief of organising things in a certain way for better living. Placing some things in a particular direction drives away yin energy or brings in more positivity. I am not an expert on Vastu Shastra, neither do I believe in it. However, ergonomics makes sense as arranging things to be more comfortable can improve productivity and reduce health adversities.

Better posture

How you work on digital device affect your health. If you do not have proper posture while working, you are more likely to have health issues. If you spend your entire day bend on your digital device, you will possibly have back pain and many other health issues. You are more likely to feel exhausted if your posture is not correct.

What is the correct posture for working on a computer?

1. Keep your back straight. Don’t lean forward or backwards a lot.
2. Keep the computer at eye level. So that you do not have to look down a lot or look above, that is, strain your eyes a lot.
3. Support your back. It is better to have your back supported by the chair than lean on the screen. You will have less back pain when you take support for your back.
4. Place a pillow on the back of the chair to make your seat more cushiony.
5. Get an ergonomic chair. This is a costly solution but nothing in comparison to the comfort. You can use regular swivel chairs with added cushions. They work just fine.
6. Rest your feet on the floor when working on a computer. Make sure your feet touch the floor when you are at your workstation. If your feet are hanging, you will have leg pain or poor blood circulation in your leg.

Positioning of digital devices

Placing the computer in the proper position can reduce back pain, neck pain and other health conditions because of excessive computer use. By keeping the computer at an appropriate height, you will not have to strain your eyes a lot. If you are suffering from presbyopia, you should get varifocal glasses, as that will reduce your need to adjust your eyeglasses to see clearly.

1. Make sure your digital device is at a proper height. Your feet touch the ground, and the computer is at eye level.
2. Position your keyboard correctly.
3. Get a mouse pad to support your hand. Stroke marks on the wrist are common occurrences for those working on a computer. If you do not use a mousepad or a mousepad with no hand support, you might get stroke marks. They are hard to get rid of.
4. Get a wrist rest attachment for your keyboards. This will reduce the strain on your wrists.
5. When using laptops, keep your hands parallel to the computer to avoid straining your hands.

Proper lighting

Light also plays a significant role in workstation ergonomics. If you work in a dark room with poor lights, even if you have an ergonomic chair and maintain proper posture while wearing gaming glasses or blue light glasses, you are more likely at risk of damaging your eyesight. Low light makes your eyes strain more. If the computer screen is the only light source, your eyes will strain more. And you will have eye pain.

1. Use ceiling lights to properly lighten your workplace.
2. Make sure there are no reflections on your screen.
3. Make sure light doesn’t fall on your eyes but rather on the work you are doing.
4. Use gooseneck lamps to get light on your table. These lights do not fall directly on your eyes and hence doesn’t strain your eyes.
5. Do not use too many LEDs in your workplace as they emit blue lights.