More and more entrepreneurs are choosing to set up their office at home, rather than pay the overhead associated with commercial office space.  But in order to create a home office that promotes productivity and good workplace health, it is important to consider the ergonomic design of your area as well as the office furniture and ergonomic computer accessories you choose to purchase.

The following is a helpful guide to some of the basics of ergonomic home office design, and what you need to create a healthy, productive and great looking work environment.

Install proper lighting

There are several things to consider in terms of lighting your home office – each a potential lighting pitfall unless you know the rules regarding good ergonomic design.

First, you should never place your desk where direct sunlight or overhead light shines right on the monitor.  This can cause you to squint when you work, which leads to headaches and eye strain.  Instead, try and place your desk away from the harshest impact of the sun’s rays.  When choosing lighting for your work area, place small lamps behind the computer – and keep the wattage down.  Both techniques will help you maintain better health and ergonomic design.

It all starts with a great office desk chair

Besides being the place where you will spend the bulk of your time, your office desk chair can also mean the difference between good health and a variety of physical ailments – including lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and other issues.

You can avoid these problems by investing in an adjustable ergonomic chair.  These chairs conform to the unique needs of each individual, allowing for adjustments to the back rest, arm rests, chair height and other crucial areas that help determine how long hours spent at the workplace affect the spine, back, arms and wrists.

Proper Ventilation

Setting up your home office in the attic or basement of your home is not a good idea because these areas rarely receive the proper air flow needed to promote good health in your work environment.  Instead, you should set up your home office in area with good natural air flow from windows or (weather permitting) open doors.

Choosing the Right Computer Equipment

When it comes to choosing the computer equipment for your home office, YOU are the purchasing department, so you have to be educated on the best ergonomic choices on the market.  Look for ergonomically friendly keyboards and computer mouse devices that promote comfort for the hands, wrists and fingers.  Also, anti-glare monitors (or monitor add-ons) help reduce headaches and eye strain and give you the freedom to place your computer in more locations.  These all represent nominal investments, but carpal tunnel syndrome ca not be cured once you have it – so it is a good idea to err on the side of caution.

Creating a Space to Call Your Own

In order to maintain a proper “flow” in your home office, you need to craft a space that is entirely devoted to business matters.  We know you love your family, but if they are coming through and interrupting your work day it is going to be hard to get your business off of the ground.  Try and find a part of the house that meets the requirements above, but still allows you some isolation from the comings and goings of family life.

Eye strain occurs when your eyes become tired after prolonged or intense use, especially after using a computer for many hours a day, driving at night for long, uninterrupted stretches or reading in poor light.   To help shed a little more light on the topic, here are a few more eye-opening facts about eye strain.

#1: Eye strain can be experienced in a number of different ways, depending upon the cause.  Common symptoms of eye strain include:

• Burning sensation in the eyes
• Watering of the eyes
• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Headaches

#2:  Unwanted glare on computer monitors can cause eye strain and other problems, including back and neck discomfort due to having to sit in an uncomfortable position avoid the screen glare.

#3:  In order to help avoid eye strain while working for prolonged periods at the computer, consider the 20/20/20 rule – Every 20 minutes, look away at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

#4: Data entry workers are not the only professionals at risk for developing eye strain. Several other jobs are also associated with high rates of eye strain, including:

• Fishermen (from staring at the water)
• Athletes (from focusing on moving objects)
• Librarians (from reading all day)

#5:  Multi-taskers beware, working with a laptop computer on your lap while watching TV in the background is a major source of eye strain.   In fact, working with the monitor at that sharp an angle below your eyes is also a source of eye strain (and neck strain and back problems as well).  Ideally, the monitor should be at a 20 degree angle below your line of sight.

#6:   For individuals in their 30’s and 40’s, eye strain may be a sign that they need eyeglasses in order to correct their vision.  Eyesight diminishes with age, so this problem is not uncommon, especially for those who read or work on the computer excessively for work or pleasure.

#7:  Improve the lighting in your workspace or reading area. A big part of ergonomic design is proper lighting.   And when lighting is improved, the chances for eye strain becoming a problem are greatly diminished.  To avoid eye strain, make sure that you don’t work or read in dimly lit areas.    If you are reading a book, the light should be directly behind you, so that the most light is shining right on the book’s pages.

#8:  Blink more often. It may sound a little crazy, but forcing yourself to blink more often throughout the day will help reduce eye strain.  When we work at our computer, we blink less – which in turn causes the dryness that can lead to eye strain.  Blinking more lubricates the eyes properly and helps reduce the chance of developing eye problems.

#9: Place your keyboard directly in front of the monitor. By doing so, you will reduce unnecessary turning and looking that can cause eye strain.  Also, use an ergonomic keyboard to reduce the chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive stress disorders.

#10:  Use a soft room light when watching television.  If there is too much contrast between the light in the room and the light emitting from the TV, it can cause eyestrain.

#11: It is important to see a doctor about your eye strain issues if you experience double vision, blurred vision or physical discomfort in the eye as a result of the problem.

#12: Eye strain does not cause any permanent damage, but can be a continuing problem unless you change your environment to one that is more ergonomically correct, and partake in better habits regarding reading, computer use and lighting.