I work from home an have a lot of issues with work space.  Not only do I work from home, I do not have a lot of space to work with.  As I've looked for better options, I thought I'd share a few pointers for setting up a home office for maximum productivity and ergonomic comfort.

• Look at your space.  Put your desk where you have the most space for movement.  If you don't have hard floors, you might want to get a chair mat for better manuverability.
• De-clutter your work area- it will keep you organized and  focused.  White noise, like this free generator, can also help you maintain focus (and sanity).
• Invest in a  good chair with great back support.  If the best on the market isn't exactly in your budget, at least get back support.
• As for desks, make sure the desk top is not glass or anything that has a glare.  Beyond that, adjustability is the most important factor: close and go, compact, sit or stand options, etc.  Think through your needs and choose the one that fits your work needs and provides comfort.  As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of space, so a smaller, but ergonomically-sound desk that is still affordable, like this one, is a good choice for me. 
• Take time to blink regularly and intentionally to keep them moist. On this note, if you can, switch between computer-related tasks and other tasks to avoid eye strain and to not zone out. 
• Keep your stuff on your desk at arm's length and place your monitor at least 20 inches from your face.  An adjustable lift mate can help you find just the right spot for your monitor, even if it changes every day.
• As this work from home realtor states, take breaks.  Remember why you're working- if you never enjoy time off, you'll burn out.

Well, there are about a million more things you could think about in setting up your home office.  For more thought-provoking ideas, check out Ergonomics Made Easy.  I imagine there are a few things you could change right now at little to no cost that will help you be more productive. 

Knowledge Workers

If you spend your days in an office or a computer, you're probably a “knowledge worker” and by many estimates, there are more than 50 million workers just like you in the US.  First coined in 1959 by Peter Drucker, a “knowledge worker” refers to almost anyone who works with data –compiling, analyzing, reporting and editing information.  

Productivity

There are many unique challenges that knowledge workers face, but those that hurt your ability to focus are probably the most dangerous.  After decades of study, industry experts point to conversational distractions as the leading cause of lost productivity in the workplace today - costing businesses nearly $600 billion in 2008 alone.  While this number is often shocking to those in largely private executive wings, it's no surprise to those who work in cubicles, enclosed offices, or the more than 15 million who work from home offices or telecommute.  An ASID study showed that distracted workers make more mistakes, suffer from higher levels of stress, and are absent more often from work. 

On the other hand, workers in environments with even minor acoustical treatments, such as the use of white noise or sound masking, had the following results:      

• 48% more focused on their work
• 51% less distracted
• 10% fewer errors
• 27% decrease in worker stress 

Options:

Good – A  free white noise generator.  It's not a true sound masking solution in that it's not a targeted spectrum system, but it does provide limited acoustic privacy via your computer speakers to help you focus easier. 

Better – Individual sound machines.  This is the best solution for those who don't have the budgetary authority to provide better privacy for an entire department, floor or building.

Best - Sound masking is most effective when you treat the entire office environment, rather than "spot treatments” because you are masking where the sound is heard, not where it originates.  Thus, the best solution is to treat the entire workspace, providing seamless, uniform sound masking.

Eye Strain

You probably are aware of lost time to distraction at work and the resulting stress.  What you may not have considered (before the damage is done anyway) is the strain on your eyes.  It makes sense, though, that staring at a computer all day could lead to eye strain- but as a knowledge worker, it may seem impossible to avoid.  Fortunately, eye strain is not an inevitable result of office work.

Here are a few tips for avoiding eye strain:

• Choose a glare-free desktop (ie not glass) since glare contributes to eye strain.
• Ensure that your work space on your desktop can facilitate a 20 inch distance between your monitor and your eyes.
• Choose a monitor with a riser/swivel stand or use a lift mate to enable you to tilt the monitor to a glare-free position.
• Make sure your reading glasses are ideal for reading from a monitor.  Frequently, you will actually need a lower prescription for computer usage (i.e. if you need a +2.0, a +1.0 or +1.5 will allow you to read your screen).  This keeps you from leaning forward into your screen all day, leaving you with a sore neck from improper posture.  Also, the higher quality lenses of designer reading glasses often reduce headaches as well as prescriptions.  Sometimes spending the extra dollar is worth it.
• Rest your eyes as you can- you can do this several ways: 1) focus on something farther away every so often, 2) switch between tasks, i.e. between computer-related tasks and other types of tasks, and 3) blink often to keep your eyes moist.
• As for your monitor, tilt it to where you can read it best- a good rule of thumb is to angle it so it’s perpendicular with your line of sight (usually not more than 10 or 20 degrees).  There are lots of desks that have great options for monitor placement.
• Finally, simple housekeeping, such as dusting, will obviously keep the screen clean and readable, but will also help you stay organized and not overwhelmed.

 By being proactive in how you set up your work station, you can be less distracted, and therefore more productive, while also counteracting typical work-related issues, such as eye strain.

Working from Home without a Home Office

Working from home can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a home office per se.  And being productive in a small space can be challenging, tiring, and overwhelming in and of itself- but not having the right equipment can be a deal-breaker.  Whether you’re squeezing into a closet, maximizing a corner, or having to pack up your stuff at the end of each work day to clear it out, it's important that you have a consistent area you can count on.  

The Close and Go Desk is a fabulous option for those of us who work, live, and play in the same space.  As its name implies, this desk can literally fold away into a closet when you need your living room back.  It's the desk version of the pack n play- serves the same function, but packs away small enough to put away or even carry with you should the need arise.

Small Office Solutions

Sometimes you're out of your home, but still don't have great work space.  For example, my husband was just asked to work part-time at our church.  Our church building is a coupIe hundred years old (go, Scotland!), so adding a small office or even a cubicle doesn't really fulfill the restored antique aesthetic.  Plus, there's really only one smallish room for all of the staff to office in.  So, I recommended something like  the Z-Ergonomic Work Station which is ideal for small spaces and a limited budget (what church like throwing away money on furniture, right?)

Whether you're in your own home or just cramped quarters, don't make space an issue.  There many affordable options, such as the two above, that are well worth the initial investment.

Did you know that open office (the euphemism for cubicle farm) workers made only half as many ergonomic adjustments to their workstations as did those in quiet offices?  This lack of proactive problem-solving resulted in an increase in repetitive strain injuries (RSI), such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and workers comp. Plus, they were just uncomfortable.  It’s like cramming into coach for a Trans-Atlantic flight when a lush First Class seat is available.  Why torture yourself needlessly?

Here are some possible ergonomic adjustments that may help YOU work more comfortably, and more productively, regardless of your office’s style or set-up:

• Left-handed keyboard
• Ergonomic keyboard
• Mini keyboard
• Back support

The beauty of an ergonomically-designed keyboard is that it makes typing (what you spend a lot of time doing) more natural by positioning your hands and wrists more comfortably.  An since you probably sit most of the day, back support can help you not go home stiff and cranky.

I’ll be honest with you.  First Class seats are available for every flight we take.  I could trade up for a First Class seat and get my toddler off my lap, but I’d be paying a lot for it.  As it is, I choose to suck up the discomfort because it’s only 1 day and I foolishly think I can handle 12 hours of discomfort.  Now, work, on the other hand is daily.  Trading up for daily results is a lot more reasonable.  It all comes down to doing what you can to increase comfort and therefore avoid stress injuries. 

Today’s worker is stressed.  Stressed by life and its inherent problems, stressed by children and their never-ending needs, stressed by career goals, stressed by office conflicts, and stressed by office noise.   It makes sense that a stressed worker is not a happy worker.  But you might not know that a stressed worker is not an efficient or productive worker either.  In fact, a study conducted by Cornell University found that workers in open-style offices with only low-level noise:

1. Experienced significantly higher levels of stress.
2. Made 40 percent fewer attempts to solve difficult problems.
3. Made only half as many ergonomic adjustments to their workstations as did their colleagues in quiet offices, resulting in an increase in repetitive strain injuries (such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and workers’ comp claims.

However, several other studies (all published in professional journals) found that the following improvements resulted from improved speech privacy levels, such as through sound masking and the use of white noise:

1. Focus: the ability of office workers to focus on their tasks improved by 48%
   
2. Distractions: “conversational distractions” decreased by 51%
   
3. Error-rates: performance of standard “information-worker” tasks (measured in terms of accuracy [error-rates] and short-term memory) improved by 10%
   
4. Stress: when measured in terms of the actual physical symptoms of stress, stress was reduced by 27%

By covering intrusive noise with white noise, workers were able to focus, be less distracted, make fewer errors, and have less stress.  Based on the first study, it’s reasonable to assume that they were freed to solve more problems and make the necessary ergonomic adjustments for increased productivity. 

Stress is hard to avoid.  But it can be lessened by being proactive in how you design your work space.

These layout changes help to create an efficient ergonomic keyboard.  There’s one major change that contributes to the improvements.  Traditionally keyboarders spent a lot of time using the numeric keypad.  Thus, it was conveniently placed on the right side of the keyboard.  Today, most people using a keyboard don’t spend a lot of time with the numeric keypad.

Left handed keyboards have moved the numeric keypad to the left side of the layout.  This allows users to place their mouse closer to the alpha keypad. Closer positioning of your mouse helps to promote straight, inline positioning of your forearms, wrists, and hands.  This neutral position helps keep tendons, nerves and blood vessels in this area from being compressed.

Compression occurs with many keyboard users.  This compression causes what is known as Repetitive Stress Injuries.  The main symptoms of Repetitive Stress Injuries include numbness of the fingers, tingling, and pain in the wrists continuing up the forearm or down through the hand.  The pain can be chronic and often requires medical treatment.  Left handed keyboards can help to prevent this type of injury.

Another popular layout of the left handed keyboard is to remove the numeric keypad and replace it with a touchpad.  Since the touchpad performs every function of the mouse, you can get rid of your mouse.  Not using a mouse will eliminate the awkward positions occurring when you go from keyboard to mouse and back.  You also won’t have to worry about placing your mouse close to your keyboard as the touchpad is built right into your keyboard.  So it is not only ergonomic efficient, it is also a space saver.

If you are a constant keyboard user you may not even realize the stress you’re placing on your wrists and hands by using a traditional keyboard.   You also may not realize just how much time you spend on a keyboard.  At work and at home the computer has become a major part of everyday life. That tired achy feeling, or the tingling could be a big warning sign that you’re damaging the nerves and tendons in these areas.  Switching to a left handed keyboard is a wise choice to help prevent further damage.

                                                              Shop Left Handed Products Now

For a jump in performance, a reduction in stress and more freedom with your computing consider a new ergonomic mini keyboard.  That’s right. If you haven’t investigated the new mini keyboard available today, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

If you’ve been looking for ways to improve the ergonomics of your keyboarding consider a mini keyboard.  With new enhanced layout designs and smaller sizes come many benefits.  Not only will you find benefits for ergonomic safety, you find many benefits to enhance your productivity.  Several combinations of layout designs are available to suit your computing needs and improve your ergonomics.

For example, with the smaller size, you don’t have to worry about where your keyboard is placed.  You can place it almost anywhere, thus allowing you to position it so your arms, wrists, and hands are in the perfect “neutral “position for optimal safety and reduction of repetitive stress conditions.  Achieving the neutral position of having your wrist in a straight alignment with the forearm requires different placement for different people.  Using a mini keyboard allows you to place it so it best suits your body type and size.  Add a wireless function to your mini keyboard and you can put it almost anywhere.

With a mini keyboard, you’ll also have the option of using a touch pad on the keyboard instead of the mouse. Touchpad features such as vertical scrolling, horizontal scrolling, zoom in/out, and even two touchpad buttons for right and left click functions, are all available for a big boost in computing performance.  Many models place the touchpad on the right side of the keyboard replacing the numeric keypad.  If your needs include a keypad you can find mini keyboards with the numeric keypad placed on the left-hand side.

If you’re a laptop user and just can’t get the machine placed correctly for both monitor viewing and keyboarding, try using a wireless mini keyboard instead of your laptop keyboard.  This gives you the ability to place the monitor so it is perfect for your eyes as well as the ability to place the keyboard in an ergonomic friendly position.  Plus, the small size of the mini keyboards makes them perfect for mobility.

With all the available options, you can see how the new mini keyboards are ergonomic friendly.  Plus they offer a host of innovative performance improving functions.  Try one today and it won’t take you long to see just how much you can benefit.

If you are constantly using your keyboard day in and day out for hours on end, you may want to consider using a left handed keyboard.   Originally designed for the left handed, all users are finding that left handed keyboards can benefit anyone. If you have moderate to heavy keyboarding tasks on a daily basis consider making the switch. .  The layout changes in these keyboards are good ergonomic designs for almost everyone who uses a keyboard.

The major change in the layout of a left handed keyboard is the placement of the numeric keypad.  Traditionally the numeric keypad’s right side placement was very effective for most users.  This is because originally keyboards were used mainly for entering numeric data. Decades later the numeric keypad is not as important for most users.

You’ll find left handed keyboards with the numeric keypad on the left side.  This allows the user whether left or right handed to place the mouse closer to the most used section of their keyboard.  This closer placement reduces the right hand movement of reaching and moving in awkward positions while using the mouse.

Some left handed keyboards have the numeric keypad omitted.  Instead a touchpad is placed on the right side.  The touchpad eliminates the need for a mouse.  Replacing your mouse with a touchpad provides you with all mouse functions right on your keyboard. This placement eliminates constant movement between keyboard and mouse, thus reducing stress.

As you consider making the switch to a left handed keyboard, think about the functions of your keyboard that you use most often.  For example, if you do use the numeric keypad a considerable amount, choose the left side placement.  If you’re comfortable without the numeric keypad, choose a touch pad instead.

As with any ergonomic keyboard the goal is to reduce the amount of non-neutral positioning of your forearms, your wrists and your hands.  Maintaining a the neutral position of having your wrists straight and in-line with your forearms as you use your keyboard prevents internal contact stress on blood vessels, tendons, and nerves.   

Repeated internal contact stress can cause numbness or tingling in the fingers, pain in the wrists and more.  Even though the movements of using your keyboard may seem simple, these repetitive motions can cause chronic conditions over time.  Replacing your current keyboard with a left handed keyboard is a simple solution that can help prevent long-term issues.  

Regardless of whether you are left or right handed a new left handed keyboard could greatly reduce stress and pain in your hands and wrists.  This type of stress and pain  is usually caused by compressing the tendons, nerves, and blood vessels in the area as you use the keyboard and mouse.  Maintaining your wrists, hands, and forearms in an improper position for extended periods can cause chronic injuries.  These injuries commonly called Repetitive Stress Injuries often require medical attention.

Using a left handed keyboard could help prevent these injuries.  A left handed keyboard has a change in the layout that promotes better ergonomic positioning of the wrists and hands.  Rather than having the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard the left handed version places it on the left side.  How does this help?

Most people don’t often use the numeric keypad.  They are constantly switching between keyboard and mouse.  Moving the keypad to the left side, allows you to place your mouse closer to the alpha keypad .  Having the mouse closer requires less awkward positioning and movement between the keyboard and your mouse.

The more you reduce this type of movement the less chance of stress and pain.

If you don’t use the numeric keypad, you can even purchase a left handed keyboard that replaces the right side numeric keypad with a touchpad.  The touchpad  replaces the mouse for an even better ergonomic effect.  You are able to maintain a straight line of forearms, wrists, and hands as you  use your keyboard. Maintaining this type of neutral position reduces the compression that can cause injury to your wrists and hands.  

Along with reducing problems with your wrists and hands, you’ll also find an improvement in productivity.  Once you become adjusted to the new layout you’ll find it is much easier to control and perform your tasks with the touchpad. Just a touch and the task is complete rather than moving back and forth using a mouse.  Combine that with no issues of stress, numbness or pain  and you’re always ready to work without concern over what it’s doing to your wrists and hands.  Try a left handed keyboard today.

Some would say that sitting at a keyboard all day is not a difficult task.  While it may not be like digging ditches, the job of all day keyboarding still poses the threat of injury.

Repetitive Stress Injuries occur when a blood vessel, nerve or tendon has constant pressure for long periods.   Commonly called contact stress, this pressure can cause pain, tingling, and numbness.  Once of the most common injuries of this type is carpal tunnel syndrome.  Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the “carpal tunnel” in your wrist becomes narrowed and places pressure on the median nerve inside.  Switching keyboards could greatly reduce your stress and pain, and even eliminate the chance of getting a repetitive stress injury.

For both the right handed and left handed, using a left handed keyboard can help keep your forearms, wrists, and hands in best ergonomic neutral positions.  This neutral position virtually eliminates contact stress and thus prevents chances of injury.  Left handed keyboard have a major change in their layout.

Instead of having the numeric keypad placed on the right side of your keyboard, it is placed on the left side.  This major layout change allows the user, whether left or right handed, to bring the mouse closer to the alpha keys on the keyboard.  With a left handed keyboard you no longer have to place your hands in awkward positions to access your mouse.

You can also choose a left handed keyboard with a touchpad on the right side.  The touchpad eliminate the need for a mouse.  It is within easy reach and less stress is placed on the wrists and hands as you use the touchpad.  Another benefit of using the touchpad is its functionality.  Once you begin using your touchpad, you find the functions quickly improve your productivity.  Scrolling, zooming, and browsing are all improved using a touchpad.

The movement of your forearms, wrists, and hands while using your keyboard may seem like a simple non-threatening movement.  Still repeating the movements constantly on a daily basis causes more stress and harm than you realize.  Over time this stress can cause chronic conditions requiring medical attention.

If your forearms, wrists, or hands feel the stress of constant keyboarding try a left-handed keyboard.  You can reduce tiredness, aches, stiffness, tingling, and pain by making this simple change. The left handed keyboard could be your solution to preventing chronic repetitive stress injuries.