Things You'll Need:
- Ergonomic chair
- Footrest
- Ergonomic mouse
- Ergonomic keyboard
- Ergonomic tray
- Wrist rest
- Document holder
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Step 1
Select a sturdy, ergonomic chair that has a height adjustment and provides lumbar support. If your lower back cannot remain in contact with the chair when you are seated, add a lumbar support cushion. When sitting at your desk, your legs should be at a 90-degree angle or greater with your feet placed on the floor in front of you. If your feet do not comfortably reach the floor, buy a footrest to place under your desk.
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Step 2
Arrange all office supplies and electronic devices within easy reach of your chair so you don't have to strain and stretch to get to them. Placing the phone close to your computer on your non-dominant side allows you to answer the phone while keeping your dominant hand on the computer mouse.
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Step 3
Invest in an ergonomic mouse designed to fit your hand size. You can find a variety of options online, but you may want to visit a local office supply store to try out different models before you buy. Try out a trackball mouse that allows you to maneuver on the screen without awkwardly lifting your finger, or even a keyboard with a built-in roller mouse below the space bar. When you're ready to purchase, visit Ergonomic Resources to buy a mouse that minimizes wrist and hand strain while helping you maintain productivity levels (see Resources below).
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Step 4
Set up your keyboard on an ergonomic tray. If you need to place it on the desktop, make sure the top of your keyboard slopes down and that you purchase a wrist rest to minimize carpel tunnel compression. You'll find several wrist rests to choose from at the AliMed website (see Resources below). Make sure your tray has enough space for your mouse to fit next to the keyboard, as you can stress your wrist and shoulder muscles by bouncing back and forth from the keyboard to an awkwardly placed mouse.
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Step 5
Place the keyboard directly in front of you to avoid twisting awkwardly to reach it. Make sure it is positioned close enough to your body to allow your elbows to relax at your sides, but not so close that you must hold your elbows behind you. As you are typing, your elbows should hang at 90-degree angles, and should be even with your wrists and the center of your keyboard. If you cannot achieve a right-angle position at the elbows, adjust your chair up or down accordingly.
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Step 6
Make sure your monitor is adjusted so that you are looking slightly down at its center when your head is in a neutral position and lined up directly over your shoulders.
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Step 7
Avoid excessive head movements by mounting a document holder on your monitor or using an easel-style holder placed next to the screen. Experts say that neck strain is caused by repeatedly looking more than 6 degrees to the side of your monitor.
