With the spread of Corona virus resulting in a pandemic situation across the globe, most of the organizations have started working from home on account of the lock-down in most of the countries. With this ongoing transition of work-from-home more and more organizations are providing connectivity from home and an increasing number of employees would be working remotely from their homes. This is done to ensure social distancing and limit exposure to prevent the spread of virus and control the pandemic.

While we work from home, we should try to ensure that we not only meet our work targets, but we also keep control of our physical activity to maintain good health. Following are some points to keep in mind while starting and continuing working from home.

1.Create a work-like environment in a dedicated workspace – It’s critical to have a private, quiet and professional space for work.

2.Set up a schedule and stick to it – Setting up a schedule gives structure to the day with defined work, exercise, eating and sleeping routine.

3.Set goals and deliverables – Set daily targets before starting work.

4.Take regular breaks – Take hourly small breaks to look away from the screen and improve circulation

5.Stay connected with other team members – This improves productivity.

6.Summarize daily report – Review the list of tasks accomplished at the end of the day.

Ergonomic Tips

As we know that the home environment is different from a typical work environment, many people will not have a proper set-up at home and may have problems due to improper posture (most common). We all know that ergonomic work posture is very important for our health. Improper posture might impact the ergonomic health of individuals. Hence, it is important for everyone to understand the risks and try alternate ways of minimizing ergonomic stressors while working from home. This also helps improve efficiency and productivity.

Basic ergonomics tips while working from home are:

1.The chosen location should have limited distractions and ample natural lighting.

2.Do not work from bed or couch, use a proper table and chair instead.

3.Chair should be comfortable and allow hips and knees to be at 90 degrees when seated.

4.Neutral erect body posture should be maintained.

5.Monitor to eye distance should be about an arm’s length.

6.While sitting, the back should be straight, never lean.

7.Use lumbar support between chair backrest and lower back if needed.

8.Keyboard and mouse should be placed at the same level.

9.If possible, stretch your legs or keep them a little raised above the floor for better circulation.

10.Lighting should be proper – neither too bright or too low light.

11.Take regular breaks and stretch.