Working from home can be a great perk, but it comes with some downsides. Not being around the office can make it harder to stay in touch with your colleagues and maintain your professional relationships.
It’s also easy to let bad habits creep in, like slouching over your keyboard or sitting too long without getting up.
But since you’re not on the clock, there’s no one there to tell you to stand up and stretch — or to put down the phone and get back to work. So it’s up to you. Here are 5 tips that will help you keep good posture while working at home:
- Take breaks throughout the day (at least 10 minutes every 90 minutes), even if it’s just going outside for some fresh air, taking a walk around the neighborhood or doing another activity unrelated to work (even reading!) — stretching out those muscles helps keep them healthy too!
- Use a footstool instead of sitting in an upright position on the edge of your seat or in a regular chair without support for your feet. This will help keep everything aligned properly through your back and legs while allowing gravity to do its job!
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest and your knees at about 90 degrees.
- Keep your arms close to your body when typing on the keyboard or using a mouse pad, so that they’re not outstretched constantly while working at your computer or laptop.
- Sit up straight rather than leaning on the back of your chair while browsing Facebook or watching YouTube videos at home during breaks from work (or even during lunchtime). If you have to take a break from working at home, try standing up instead of sitting down for a few minutes until feeling refreshed again before returning back to work).
