Avoid Physical Therapy with Your WFH* Setup

Please learn from my mistakes. When I started working from home*, I had my laptop on the couch with a special pillow for lumbar support (gotta support that lower back). It was great, until it wasn’t. Until I had horrible neck and shoulder pain, mostly on my right side. It’s a year later and I fixed up my work habits and dutifully fit my PT exercises into my schedule. Here are 3+ recommendations (some free, some ??????).

1. Get a second monitor. Or at least raise your screen to eye level.

This image is about text neck, but your head is basically in the same position when looking at a laptop. No bueno.

This was the one change that had the biggest impact on my pain. And now I also hold my phone better, so there’s that. Wirecutter can help with recommendations. Or Craigslist.

2. Pay attention to how you sit.

The first (big, expensive, business is good!) purchase I made was a standing desk. I invested in a really nice one from Fully. But there are a ton of DIY hacks if you’re not ready for that commitment. While I was at Fully I tried their Luna standing desk stool and loved it.

I have not yet figured out how to lean/stand with the Luna stool, but my posture is impeccable when I sit on it. So I sit at my fancy standing desk. But I did set it to the absolute perfect height for good arm position on my keyboard as I sit. Maybe that will work for you, or maybe something else. Just be conscious about how you sit.

3. Pause and stretch.

I use an app to remind me throughout the day to get up and stretch for 5 mins. This foam roller chest opener is my favorite. It hurts so good. I stay in that position for a few minutes and then go back to work. We all need to do chest opening stretches. Here are some other stretches that work well.

Other things I recommend:

The rest of my recommendations won’t help your posture, but made working from home so much nicer.

1. Use headphones with a good mic. Mine were pretty cheap on Amazon, but I hear everything on calls and my voice is super crisp (I tested and asked for feedback).
2. Get another video camera. Meaning you can cover up your laptop camera, yay! This one with the cover was recommended by Wirecutter (I heart Wirecutter). Another note, please use your video. I want to see facial expressions and communicate better by reading cues.
3. Use a selfie light. Good lighting is super hard, so this was the most straightforward approach to having consistently good lighting. Vain perhaps, but ???♀?.
4. Spritz yourself every so often with a facial mist. It feels lovely, wakes you up and smells good. Win, win, win.
5. And super extra credit, my friend Amy at HomeWork will evaluate your WFH setup for Fung shui. Her recommendations for my office got me to clean up my cord clutter and paint the office so I’ll feel like I’m inside a lilac flower.

*I acknowledge that I am in a place of privilege. My profession allows me to work from home. I have an office (with a door) in my home. I’m able to afford making my workspace ergonomic. I have health insurance for PT. Many people are not as lucky as I am.