Interestingly, I never had these problems when I worked in an onsite office: I always managed to adjust my chair to suit my needs, and have my monitor at the right level. Since I spend a lot of time out of my home office anyway, my office setup only has an impact on the sedentary part of my work week; the rest is, as they say, in the lap of the gods.

Do You Have Problems with Your Home Office Ergonomics?

A range of symptoms can indicate that your home office is not as comfortable — or suited to your body type or posture — as it could be. Do you find yourself beset by:

• headaches
• neck pain
• back pain
• tired or sore eyes
• numbness in the hands, legs or specific muscle groups
• tension in joints, often the neck, shoulders, fingers and wrists
• device frustration

This last point can be the tip-off that if you don’t do something soon, you’ll suffer more than a bad mood. If you find the use of one of your devices — your mouse, keyboard, monitor, scanner and so on — is frustrating you, it may be a sign that your body is having to work harder than it’s used to, or than it needs to, in order to get your work done. In short, it can be a sign of unnecessary strain. Perhaps your scanner’s a few inches too far from your chair, or maybe you need a mouse mat to facilitate smooth mouse movement and stop your fingers straining to push the device around your desktop.

They seem like such small points, but when you need to operate these devices for eight hours every day, it’s important to get things right.

DIY Home Office Ergonomics

Yes, you can arrange to have an ergonomics expert come into your home and assess your workspace — some of the more liberal (or is that just sensible?) employers will even foot the bill for this service on behalf of their remote employees.

But you can alter your home ergonomics for the better yourself. There’s a a lot of information out there to help you set up your workspace to meet your ergonomic requirements. I found a handy Office Ergonomics Checklist and a discussion of conventional ergonomics wisdom as compared with current research results. Both of thee resources helped me adjust my workspace to my specific requirements. You could also try changing things up with a standing desk.

Ergonomics On the Go

This is all well and good for those days when we’re at home or in an office, but what about ergonomics for those who are working on the road? It would seem that the basic advice that applies in your fixed workspace should be applied as best as possible on the road:

• sit comfortably with your feet resting on something (the floor? a bag?)
• try to ensure you have lower back support
• set a decent amount of space between your eyes and the monitor; although the “arm’s length” rule isn’t achievable on a laptop, make sure you’re not cramped
• have your screen at a workable level of brightness, and try to avoid having light shining directly on it
• make sure your arms are comfortable — not pushed back against your body or out to the sides
• try resting your elbows or forearms on arm rests if your seat has them
• take regular breaks: stretch your arms and hands, get up and stretch your legs, rest your neck, look around
• try not to work for long, unbroken periods

How about you? How have you improved your home — or remote — office ergonomics?

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According to a study from the Light Right Consortium, “People who are more satisfied with their lighting rate the space as more attractive, are happier, and are more comfortable and satisfied with their environment and work.” As far as home office improvements go, investing your time on proper lighting seems like it’s worth it.

Here are some pointers to get started on a well-lit office:

Increase amounts of natural light. The best way to light a home office is through natural light, not only because it’s brighter and more even than artificial lighting, but also because it’s free. I’m glad that my home office seems to do well in this area, because one wall is a glass sliding door to an open veranda, while another wall has a large window.

If you don’t have the benefit of natural light in your office, it seems like common sense to compensate for it by using bulbs that replicate daylight (full-spectrum bulbs). But research shows that such bulbs only make a difference if you’re performing tasks that require fine discrimination of color (if you do print design work, for example).

Opt for indirect lighting. Don’t imitate corporate cubicle farms by installing direct, parabolic lighting. Professors at Cornell University conducted a study (pictures here) that showed the negative effects of these lights in an office. These lights were bothersome and made the subjects’ eyes tire and lose focus more easily. Apparently, direct parabolic lights also lessens productivity (as self-reported by employees). For the effect on your eyes alone, it’s better to opt for lensed indirect lighting for your ceiling fixtures.

Plan your furniture layout well. The first thing you have to consider when rearranging furniture is preventing reflected glare on your monitor.

I mentioned above that I have a lot of natural light flowing into my office. This presents a disadvantage, too, because too much direct natural light produces reflected glare on the screen. This lessens my options for monitor placement. My solution to this is to place translucent blinds on the windows to diffuse the sunlight a bit.

Here are other things you need to consider for your layout:

• If you have other glossy or shiny surfaces in the office, make sure that any reflected glare they have is out of your line of sight.
• Use large furniture such as shelves and dividers to maximize or block bright sources of light, depending on your needs.
• For offices that are openly connected to other rooms (no wall), include the lighting in the other room in your plans since it affects the lighting quality in your office.
• Paint your walls in bright colors. Just make sure that they’re not too bright or glossy, producing glare.

Properly space your light fixtures. When planning your fixtures, remember that your entire office should be uniformly lit. Watch out for areas that might be too dark or too bright. Avoid placing fixtures within your usual line of sight, and don’t install them within three inches of a wall (they’ll create sharp areas of shadow and light).

Have as much control as you can. If you can afford it, install dimmers and other methods to control brightness. When used properly, these devices can conserve energy and allow you to adjust your lighting as natural light changes throughout the day. Also, if you’ll be using desk lamps, make sure that you can adjust them on three planes.

Although improving lighting quality in the home office sounds like a lot of work, it’s much better than having a building’s existing lights forced on you. I hope the points I’ve raised above have been — pardon the pun — enlightening.

How well did you plan for the lighting in your home office? What effect does it have on your work?

Image by CraigPJ from sxc.hu

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A few years ago, I decided to build two new desks for my office. One is a conventional height and the other is a standing desk. I wanted the option to move between desks for a little extra activity throughout the day. I have computers at both desks. I often stand while browsing the web and reading email, but usually sit to type or for long periods of concentration. Moving back and forth helps keep me fresh, as well as organized, with different tasks at each location. Here’s how I built my standing desk.

My standing desk

One benefit of building your own standing desk is that you can get the height just right. Measure from the floor to your elbow for a starting measurement. My standing desk is just above my belly button at 43 inches tall.

I wanted my two desks to share one feature: easy disassembly. I rearrange my office a couple of times a year — writers crave distraction — and I want to be able to move things easily. So, each of my desktops lifts off a base made up of two L-shaped supports. The hard part is clearing everything off the desks, after which I can easily lift the top and move the supports. I can also switch the desktops, which have different shapes.

Originally, I constructed the supports using wood that was 2 inches by 2 inches. The result was rather wobbly. I reconstructed the supports using 2x4s, which resulted in a much more solid structure. As you can see in the next photo, which shows the sit-down desk, each L-shaped support consists of four horizontal pieces and three vertical pieces. Join the support pieces with wood screws or even nuts and bolts. Nails will not hold it tightly enough.

Constructing the desk

Wedged into a corner, each desk is rock steady. If your desk will be away from the walls, you may need metal brackets in the corners to stabilize the desk further.

For the desktop, I chose a high-quality plywood sheet 4 feet by 8 feet, cut in half at the store. When I cut off one corner to create the front of the desk, my old saw mangled the edge of the wood. (I used those cut corners for the shelves that you can see in the first photo.) The rough edge of the wood led me to buy a couple of yards of soft vinyl at a fabric store to cover the wood. The result is a very nice work surface.

If you don’t wish to build your own desk, you’ll find standing desks or stand-up desks for sale online and in some stores. You should also look at drafting tables, which have an adjustable work surface. While my desk is flat, some people prefer a sloping surface.

Mark Justice Hinton is founder of PC Training & Consulting and has written books including “PC Magazine Windows Vista Solutions” and “Digital Photography for Dummies“.

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If you live in the UK, Desk Space Genie could help. It’s a nationwide marketplace, launched yesterday, for desk space in the region. Simply type in your desired location and it returns a list of available desks in your area.

I’ve got to admit that, as it’s a brand-new service, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of search results. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a few decent-looking options in my area (Bristol). You can sort results by distance or price.

Desk Space Genie search results

Clicking on a search result lets you look at full details of what’s included in the deal, photos (if the advertiser has included them), and a Google Map showing the location.

Desk Space Genie detail page

Desk Space Genie doesn’t (yet) have the quantity and variety of advertisers that you might find on Gumtree, but it’s much easier to look through Desk Space Genie’s results as it only lists available desk space.

According to Desk Space Genie, the nationwide average for a desk is about £170 ($240) per month, although obviously this varies with location. As companies shed staff and look to shave costs, it’s likely that even more desk spaces will become available, which may put downward pressure on prices, so it might be worth taking a look to see what’s available in your area.

(Via ThinkVitamin)

Do you rent desk space? What has the experience been like for you?

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Spend time looking for a great chair. One thing we have in common with office-bound workers is the need for a good chair.  Without it, we’re prone to back aches and hours of working in pain or discomfort.

Alternatively, some people prefer to sit on uncomfortable chairs or even work standing up.  Having uncomfortable seating sometimes forces people to work faster and more efficiently.  But if you prefer a more contemplative style of working, you should focus on looking for a comfortable chair.

Keep regularly used items within reach. Most of us have many physical tools we use for work, such as post-its, pens, index cards, or a USB thumb drive.  It’s best to keep these tools within your arm’s reach as you’re sitting down in front of the computer.  Apart from the items I’ve already mentioned, I also keep Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style” on my desk as a quick reference.  If you have similar reference books for your field, it might prove to be handy to keep them nearby as well.  Having easy access to all these tools means you don’t have to waste time and energy walking around the house to look for them.

Make sure you have sufficient lighting. In an article about resetting one’s body clock, I wrote about how seeing bright light when you wake up tells your brain that it’s daylight.  This makes your office lighting important, especially if you like to work shortly after waking up.  The source of light can be natural, artificial, or a mix of both – as long as enough of it is available when you need it.

Add a little variety. Whether it’s the photographs on your desk, the art work on your wall, or the plants on your windowsill, it helps to have a few elements in your office that can be changed or rearranged.  These will allow you to breathe new life into your office whenever you’re getting bored with your old setup or you simply want a bit of change.

Have as few distractions as possible. When I started web working, my office was in the same space as a television set.  Obviously, this wasn’t a good idea as I often found myself turning the TV on and wasting my time with yet another episode of Seinfeld which I’ve already seen twice.  My desk was also situated badly, directly beside the front door and near the phone.  This meant that if there were any visitors, callers, or if anyone was coming in or leaving, I would be forced to deal with them.

Now, my office is in a separate room.  This means that I’m no longer forced to welcome guests or pick up the phone by default.  Since I made the change, I noticed a considerable decrease in the hours I spent working.  The bottom line is that you should find a space where you’ll have the least amount of distractions and close it off.  It’s better to have your office in an unused room.  If not, close off your workspace with dividers.

Establish house rules. Apart from the space itself, you also need to work on the less physical aspects of your office, such as established rules that are understood by your housemates or family.  Some examples include the following: you can’t be disturbed between 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, no one else is allowed to clean up your office for you, you won’t receive phone calls during the day, etc.  If your office space sets the physical boundaries, these rules will set the mental boundaries you need so you can channel your attention to you work.

It takes some experimentation and a few weeks of trial and error to have a workspace that is complementary to your work style.  These simple tips are just starting points you should consider when creating or re-creating an office that you’ll be proud of.

What does your office look like?  What makes it work for you?  Are there any aspects of your workspace that need improvement?  Feel free to share pictures.

Image by Henk L from sxc.hu

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At Leeds’ The Round Foundry in the UK, entrepreneurs in the creative and digital industries can opt for traditional serviced office space or a hot-desking plan in a large shared space. Each hot-desker gets a cute lockable ‘pod’, that includes…

• Six large shelves (with file holder tabs!)
• Six power outlets.
• Two Cat-5 sockets.
• A coat/bag hook.
• A motorized, adjustable desk area.
• Um, wheels.

The pods (the model is know as a Macro-1)  are actually quite cool, designed by local company Volume Products as part of a range of modular office furniture. Though they appear to be designed for traditional office spaces, they seem to have been adapted well to the Round Foundry’s coworking area.

However is raises some interesting questions about the nature of work environments that coworkers are interested in inhabiting.

Communal environments such as San Francisco’s Citizen Space provide much of what is valuable about coworking – a sense of camaraderie, community and collaboration that remote workers lack when working from their homes. However, some privacy is desirable when conducting sensitive negotiations or discussions (though Citizen Space does have a kinda unwritten NDA between residents).

Traditional cubicled spaces are exactly the soulless prisons that most freelancers and web workers seek to avoid when they make the choice to escape cubicle farms.

Perhaps products such as Macro-1 provide a useful middle ground, enabling a semi-private environment for each worker, but portable and mobile enough to reconfigure into collaborative spaces when needed. Yes, it’s really all about those wheels :)

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