How to sit infront of a computer

Aaaaah ! My back....ooooh my neck....damn my wrists hurt....why are my eyes so itchy.

I am sure all of us at some point have spoken the above words. Fact is learning to sit and work ergonomically is a "soft skill" necessary for modern day work life. I too have faced various aches and pains due to horrible ergonomic positions in my work life and after working 10 yrs in my industry I have finally been able to get an ergonomic position I am comfortable in. Here are some tips.

1. Unclutter your workspace. Your workspace should help you do your work better, and not hamper it. Things like the phone, monitor and documents should be at arms length distance from where you it.

2. "The chair". Getting the right chair is very important. A good chair should have height adjustment, a height adjustable arm rest and a good adjustable backrest at least.Having a 5 wheel chair is also helpful to move around your workspace.

3.Your back (the most important part). Your back should be straight and at 90-110 degrees with the seat of the chair. Try not to slouch or lay back on the chair.

4. Your feet should be flat on the floor and the back of your knees should make a 90 degree angle. The same is true for your elbows, with your arms resting on the armrest of your chair.

5. Your key board should be at a height just below (or at the same height) your armrest so that your arms do not stress while typing on the keyboard. Make sure your wrists are not turned upwards or too downwards and lie straight on the keyboard. Your mouse should ideally be close to your keyboard (preferably on the keyboard tray itself).

6.Finally the monitor should be at arms length distance away from your eyes. The top of the monitor should be at eye level. Make sure the monitor is nice and clear (resolution and brightness wise). If you are near a windows, blinds would help in better viewing. Also adjusting the screen resolution based on your liking should help.

Last but not the least frequent breaks are recommended (5 mins every hour) to rest your body. Get up from your desk every hour and take a small walk. Have a bottle of water ready with you at your desk and aim to finish at least 2 litres of water during your 8-10 hour work schedule (remember the human body actually needs 3 litres of water a day).

Here are some links (I referred) that should also help you get the right posture for your computer use.

http://www.ergonomics.com.au/pages/400_useful_info/420_how_to_sit.htm

http://www.macworld.com/article/53297/2006/10/ergo_workspace.html

Good bye neck pain !