When working from anywhere, you need a reliable rig.

It’s the time of hybrid work. Many of us spend a lot of our time working from home. Such is the brave new normal that Covid gave us. It’s changed everything about our world and one of the major changes is where we do our work.

Instead of flocking to office jobs many of us sign in to work on our computers and start working right away. While this has done wonders for our commutes, it hasn’t been great for our backs, our hips, or our mental health. And it makes a big difference. 

Here’s some helpful tips on how to set up your setup. 

1. Invest in your chair. 

If you have the cash, dish it out. You can get a chair that cradles you properly and gives you proper lumbar support. Humans were not designed to be seated for long periods of time and it can be very hard on your back to work from any chair. 

If you can’t invest in an upgrade there are some things you can do to make sure your regular chair can serve you well. You can put a small pillow at the small of your back to properly support it. You can make sure you have a footrest so your feet are resting comfortably and are not dangling. Where you sit makes a big impact on your work.

2. Think of your eyes

First of all, grab some blue light glasses. They will help your eyes regular all the light that they take in from the screen. 

You should also be following the 20/20/20 rule. For every 20 minutes of work you spend staring at your screen you should spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away. This is to help your eyes adjust and exercise the small muscles that focus your eyes. 

3. Let There Be light

This might seem frivolous but light yourself properly. These days everyone knows they will be on a collaboration platform like Webex one time or another and having a presentable place to take Webex meetings is a lot more important than it used to be. 

4. Monitor Your Back

If you can, minimize the amount of time you spent hunched over a laptop. If you are doing a lot of work on a computer, invest in a monitor so you are looking straight ahead instead of angling your neck down.

Want to take it one step further? Buy a standing desk. There are quite a few ways to make your regular desk into a standing desk, try doing that for part of the day and you will see how much better you feel.

5. Blur Your Background

This is a security recommendation. One thing that you have to be wary of is letting too many people know too much about you. You never know what you are inadvertently revealing in your background, blur it when you meet new people for safety.

6. Keep It Separated

This is one of the hardest tips, but if you can put a door between where you work and where you sleep. It makes a big difference in your psyche. It can help you turn off, and help you get a good balance between work and not work.

These are just some major tips on how to set up your setup. Stay tuned for more advanced tips once you’ve committed to an area for work. There is so much more in the world of ergonomics than you know, but for the moment, this is a good start.

By Snow Schnabel | May 21, 2023

Snow Schnabel is a writer for Journalixm. If you are interested in more articles about home office setup, check out journalixm.com