How to Set Up Your Work Station for Optimum Performance

Trouble breaking through the mid-morning or mid-afternoon lethargy? Have you considered that your work setup might be detracting from your energy, clarity, and productivity??

Dr. Theresa Larson was LIVE on LinkedIn on July 17, 2024 to teach you how to fine tune your workstation for physical comfort and mental performance.

Watch the full recording to dive into the details and keep reading below for the top adjustments you can make to your setup that will optimize your performance.

1. Turn your workstation into somewhere that you feel alert and grounded

Imagine what it would be like to work in a cold wet basement with a single buzzing overhead light. Now imagine yourself working next to a huge window overlooking a park in the springtime. In which environment are you likely to be happier and more creative? Probably the window, as natural light (and green spaces) not only boots our mood, but also creates alertness and energy as it signals to our brain that it’s daytime.

A bright desk lamp (and some plants) can do the same thing-stimulating your brain to beat midday lethargy. . .but we recommend including a quick walk to really compound the effects.

Now let’s return to that buzzing light in the basement…it’s probably creating some annoyance, some irritability that doesn’t lend itself well to our desire or ability to do good work. It’s a distraction that pulls us off of our center.

Whether or not you have control of the annoyances in your work space, it can be helpful to use a grounding practice when you need to focus.? This can be as simple as focusing attention on the breath, or on the sensations of pressure you feel in your chair for 2-3 minutes. If this sounds good, Dr. T led a grounding practice that you can follow along here.

2. If your desk doesn’t move, get creative with props for optimal positioning.

Dr. T gave the following guidelines for setting up your sitting or standing workstation to support optimal breathing and spinal mechanics:

• Screen Height: top of the monitor just below forehead height
• Keyboard: wireless; far enough forward so that your elbows are slightly in front of your body
• Hips: at the back of the chair
• Spine: neutral, neither rounded nor arched
• Feet: Flat on the ground.

You may have to use stacked boxes or books to adjust your setup, especially if you use a laptop. The payoff is that you’ll be better positioned to take deep belly breaths, which can relieve both stress AND low back stiffness

3. Relieve stress and achiness immediately by standing up more to work and incorporating frequent movement breaks.

The catch is….no matter how perfect our setup is, if we are sitting all day, we will feel lethargic, irritable, and achy. Transitioning to a standing desk for short periods can be a decent solution here, but what if you don’t have one yet?

You can make one! Stack MORE cardboard boxes or books on a countertop to get your monitor up to standing height. If it’s still too short, widen your stance to bring your head even lower; this also puts you in a great position to stretch your inner thighs.

Even with a standing workstation setup, it’s STILL important to get full body movement in to prevent chronic disease and achiness. Dr. T walked through some easy movements like squats, toe touches, spinal rotations, and raise the roofs, and alternatively, even a 5-10 minute walk can quickly reduce discomfort, and boost your creativity and alertness.

Bottom Line: You can easily adjust your workstation for better performance and posture, but don’t forget about taking regular movement breaks!

How to dive deeper?

At Movement Rx, we are in the business of creating teams that lead and work better from a place of wellbeing. Because if you don’t make time for your wellbeing now, you’ll have to make time for disease later. Let us help your team build and leverage their well-being.

Schedule a call with Dr. T here: https://calendly.com/drtheresalarson/30?back=1&month=2024-07 to learn more about how she may be able to help you and your organization.

**Blog written by Dr. Marissa Rescott, DPT, PhD, Education Director at Movement Rx