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Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Author	Wil Harris
Published	1st Jul 2008

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Office environments are rarely configured to suit all. A window that provides a lovely view for one office worker can be a source of disastrous screen glare for another. Air conditioning that cools an entire office can cause one poor fellow to nearly freeze to death. One man's relaxing and work-enhancing music can be another worker's hair-tearing distraction. There are a few simple rules that anyone configuring a workspace can follow to minimise disruption among workers - although nothing beats going around an office and sitting at every desk, in every chair, to work out exactly how to make life as easy and ergonomic as possible for everyone.

And if you're working at home, you may well be restricted by the physical layout and practicalities of your living and working space. Moving a desk from one side of the room to another just might not be practical for any number of reasons.

Ambient light sources can turn your screen into a mirror, making it uncomfortable to view

But there are a few problems that will affect everyone. The first problem is that a computer display is, itself, a source of light and this makes lighting a work environment ergonomically pretty difficult. It causes particular problems with paper documents, since adjusting your eyes from a backlit display to dull paper can cause strain - and throwing more light on the paper can increase screen glare, causing discomfort when focusing on the screen. Bad light causes bad posture, as we physically strain our eyes - and our backs and necks - to get a better look at whatever it is we're working on.

As we've mentioned, monitors should be adjustable in terms of brightness and contrast. It's best to use desk-specific lighting, rather than broad overhead lighting, as this allows you to switch it on and of as you need it. If overhead lighting is a necessity, try diffusing it with filters - this will create a more even light and avoids it beating down on whoever is sitting underneath it.

If you have windows, make sure you get adjustable blinds. These allow you to preserve some light to prevent your environment becoming a chamber of darkly death, but also allow you to block out the sun when it hits that ‘just about to blind you' moment. Blinds are better than curtains, in general, because they offer more flexibility in terms of positioning - and ergonomics is all about flexibility in a given situation, as we have discovered.

A good set of noise cancelling headphones can be a real advantage in a noisy office

When it comes to noise, an environment needn't be strictly free of noise to be ergonomic so much as be pleasant to work in. If you are sitting right next to an air conditioning fan, the noise will not only start to damage your hearing, but the stress will lead to other bad habits that will impact your posture and lead to muscle problems. If there's no way to escape noise, consider investing money in a decent pair of noise canceling earphones. These aren't just for the enjoyment of music (although they will generally lend a very pleasing tone to your tunes) - the active noise cancellation will also muffle external sounds in general. Picking comfortable ones could make your life a lot easier.

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Spode said on 1st July 2008

I've had a whole host of back problems for the last 5 years. My lower back pain was a combination of the chair I was using, and my bed. I had an £80 chair and didn't think for one minute it could be problem, but when I started sitting on a second chair I bought for £15, things got a lot better as it didn't have that gap in the lumbar zone.

I went to Toronto for the launch of the X800 and after a few nights in the hotel bed, my back pain went away. One night at home and the pain was back - so I decided to check what was going on. The base of the bed in the house I was renting was made of thin steel rods, which had all bent in. When I lifted the mattress, I could just see an indentation of my body! I bent all the bars back and then put a sheet of hard board over the top. I recently had an MRI on my back, I do have a partial rupture in a disc in my lower back, but all these changes definitely made a difference (getting a doctor to take back pain seriously at when you're under 20 is very difficult...)

I've also had a lot of problems with my upper back, mainly trapped nerves and general aching. At one point, I couldn't get out of bed, so paramedics had to climb out of the window and carry me to hospital - that was a fun Monday. After an MRI they suggested I had slight degeneration in 3 discs in the middle of my back, but not enough to be causing the trapped nerves. So I was left trying to work out what was going on.

I started analysing my posture on my desk and realised that I often end up with my shoulders hunched forwards. I find this happens when your arms are too close together. If you space your arms further apart, it naturally pushes your shoulders back into a neutral position. I also found when I was walking I had the same problem, so I concentrated on keeping my shoulders in a "normal" position (although I can tell you, at first it didn't feel it).

Another thing that really helped, that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned, is the use of a posture chair:

http://www.backinaction.co.uk/kneeling

I have something similar to this and I use it for a few hours each day - sometimes the whole day if i feel like it. At first, it hurts to use it, as you use your core muscles to keep yourself upright. But after a while, you get used to it, and your back is strengthened because of it! It's like free physio :) I think I paid about £25 for mine - well worth it.

I've had a whole host of back problems for the last 5 years. My lower back pain was a combination of the chair I was using, and my bed. I had an £80 chair and didn't thin... more

Ed said on 1st July 2008

I tried one of those posture chairs and found it hurt my shins and knees. I think I was a bit tall for it, maybe. In hindsight I probably should've stuck with it for a while -... more

Xiphias said on 1st July 2008

Unfortunately many of the suggestions can be difficult to follow. For example you recommended an armed chair, yet many armed chairs have fairly long and high arms which will preven... more

Lon Bailey said on 3rd July 2008

The thing about chairs is that you need to try before you buy. I was going to get a high back chair when I visited the back2 shop and after trying several out, I found a cheaper mo... more

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