Ergonomics Best Practices at a Modern Workplace

Post pandemic, it is more important than ever to support the health and wellbeing of yourself and your workforce. Not encouraging healthy workplace habits can lead to negative effects on individuals including burnout, which can in turn impact the overall success of a business by reducing productivity and performance.

Whilst bad habits can be easy to slip into, for the benefit of your health and wellbeing it is important to refrain from doing this and instead set yourself rules and boundaries to implement at work.

Walking meetings

Swap the conference room for a gentle stroll. Instead of holding all of your meetings in a stuffy office, when appropriate, conduct your meeting on the move. Going outside for a walking meeting has been proven to have a lot of benefits both personally and professionally. Being in nature will help to clear your mind and leave you feeling more refreshed, meaning that you can be more focused and present in meetings. The act of walking also helps to increase blood flow throughout your body and brain which can help to boost creativity and combat writer’s block allowing you to be more productive. Aside from helping you to think more clearly, a bit of physical activity is never a bad thing. Paddleboarding can also be a great activity to take part in for an outdoor meeting or teambuilding activity.

Take a lunch break

It can be far too easy to eat at your desk and reply to a few of the emails that have been mounting up throughout the day, however you are likely doing your workload and your wellbeing more harm than good. Leaving your desk for a minimum of half an hour at lunch to enjoy a healthy meal can really help your focus and productivity when you come back after your break. To begin with, having a change of environment will give your brain a chance to reset meaning that you will feel more refreshed, it also means that you will come back to your tasks with a fresh pair of eyes so you may have new ideas and solutions.

Taking a lunch break can actually have benefits for your digestion too, eating whilst working means that you are likely to be mindlessly eating and at a faster rate than usual. Having a set time to sit and enjoy your food not only means that you will have a more pleasant experience, but you’ll also probably eat slower and swallow less air reducing your chances of indigestion and acid reflux.

Maintain proper posture

Poor posture in office environments is a very common problem and slouching at your desk can cause a whole host of painful problems. Sitting at a desk in the correct position can not only help to prevent aches and pains but it can also improve your breathing, circulation and digestion meaning that you feel more alert and are more productive. How should you sit at your desk to maintain good posture?

• Place both feet flat on the floor
• Rest your lower arms on a support parallel in front of you
• Your eyes should be level with the top of your computer monitor
• Relax your shoulders
• Upper legs should be at a 90 degree angle from your body
• Monitors should be kept an arms length away from you
• Keep your hips to the back of your chair

Following healthy workplace habits can help to maintain both your mental and physical wellbeing. Implementing these steps whilst at work can help you to be happier, healthier and more productive.