4 Ergonomic Mistakes You’re Probably Making Every Day

This article is sponsored by ErgoTune.

Working from home has never been more common than it is right now. And there’s a decent chance that statement will only ring truer the longer time goes on and corporations – and society at large – continue to adapt to a new work-from-home mindset.

Working from home gives you the freedom to choose how you set up your workstation, which is obviously a great thing – who doesn’t enjoy more freedom when given the option? But we must remember the wise words of Uncle Ben in these situations – with great power comes great responsibility.

So, if you want to be a responsible little soldier and make your dead uncle proud, then here are mistakes you should avoid if you want to watch your back – and I mean that in the literal sense, not the vaguely threatening way someone you owe money to would say it. 

Working from the couch

Ahh the couch, humanity’s second greatest invention, coming in just behind Ben & Jerry’s “The Tonight Dough” ice cream. But for all the joys that both provide the collective consciousness, both should be enjoyed in moderation. It can be tempting to just lay back on the couch all day if you’re working from home, but doing this is a sure-fire way to book a one-way ticket to Planet Bad Back. And trust me, you don’t wanna go to that planet. 

Working exclusively from your laptop

Look, laptops are great, they’re the backbone of the modern workforce. They’re wonderful for working on the go, from busy cafes to park benches and basically everywhere you can imagine really, but their versatility is also ultimately their downfall. 

I’m not saying you need to run out and buy a full-on personal computer set up. But if you’re spending prolonged time working from your laptop, investing in a decent monitor, keyboard, and mouse will do wonders for your posture. The less time you’re hunched over a tiny screen, typing away with unsupported wrists, the better. For both you and me, because I care about you, internet friend, more than you’ll ever know.

Not taking breaks

No matter how much brain power you may think you have, you still need to take a momento and chill the heck out every now and then. Even if you’re feeling mentally fresh, your body needs regular breaks to stretch and get the blood flowing. You don’t want to develop a Mr Burns-esque hunchback do you? Of course you don’t, what would your mother think?? 

So go ahead and get up at least every hour and do a lil stretch, maybe do some star jumps, kick a little puppy – I don’t care what you do as long as you get that sweet inner juice flowing.

Using the wrong chair

If you’re anything like I used to be up until very recently, then chances are you’ve been making do with whatever you had around the house as your default “office” chair. This is obviously not very bueno.

Chairs that don’t fit you well because they lack the adjustments to adapt to you – like seat depth and backrest height for that accurate lumbar support positioning to the c-shape curve in your spine – are a long-term recipe for spinal disaster. A desk chair is only great when it’s able to fit you, so it’s integral you find the right chair with the right customizability options to suit your unique body shape.

Office chairs have truly come a long way since Charles Darwin chucked a few wheels on an armchair two centuries ago. Today, we are spoilt with cutting-edge office chairs that are the beneficiaries of almost two centuries of innovation.

These days, we’re blessed with features that make world-class office chairs truly world-class. Things like being able to adjust backrest height, ensuring the lumbar support actually fits your c-shape curve accurately, no matter your height, or adjustable headrests and seat depths, to mesh materials perfect for breathability, are really making life better than it ever has been for office workers and gamers alike.

A good ergonomic office chair is one of the best investments you can make. After all, you spend such a huge amount of your life working, you should – nay – you deserve to do so in a chair that’s designed to fit around your specific needs, not just some run-of-the-mill lame-wad chair.

I can genuinely say that copping ErgoTune’s latest design has changed my life. Sitting on the chair, with its 11 calibration points and dreamy lumbar support makes working from home feel like working from god’s living room, and baby, he’s cooking up an endless pot of pure ergonomic comfort.

But hey, don’t take it from me, just look how happy our resident office life-size cut-out of Adam Sandler is!

So strap the hell in, sit back, and please don’t actually kick that puppy.