It’s official, friends: after six weeks of working at my kitchen table and sitting on a hard wooden chair for six to eight hours a day, my body has had it.
I started feeling twinges in my IT band earlier this week, quickly followed by serious soreness and tightness a few days later. It freaked me out – because, as y’all know, I love to run, and especially right now, it’s vital for my mental and physical health. I texted a couple of friends in a panic – one a dancer, one a longtime runner. Buy a foam roller, they both urged. Stretch it out. Rest.
I’m taking their advice (thank goodness for Marathon Sports, my local running store). But I still need help. This wasn’t an issue until it really was, and I don’t want it to either continue or get worse.
This is the current setup: my work laptop, either set flat on the kitchen table or propped on a double stack of books as a makeshift standing desk. It helps to stand sometimes, and moving around when I can is important (plus online yoga). But I can’t type like this all day, and I need all your best work-from-home ergonomic advice. I live in a studio apartment, and I don’t have a “regular” desk or room for much new furniture, so this is going to be a case of working with what I’ve got and getting creative.
How do you avoid tight shoulders, sore tailbones, repetitive stress injuries, etc., when working from home? I’m really asking. And if you’ve got recs for products that work – laptop stands, etc. – let me know. I’m all ears.
cakes, tea and dreams 
I would love to see any of the shared recommendations too! I have a second monitor and a wireless keyboard which makes it easier but still really rough on my body. I purchased a Macally aluminum laptop stand from amazon. Bit my back and shoulders are killing me.
I use a weighted neck collar (not sure how to describe) that can also be put in the microwave and warmed. It keeps my shoulders low and helps a lot.
Is it possible your employer might pay for a desk chair, so you don’t have to sit on a hard wooden chair? Or could you invest in one? I’ve found that having the right desk chair (and ideally, you would try out the chair before you purchase to make sure it is right for your height and size) allows me to sit with good posture and prevents back injuries. Good luck!
I don’t have any advice, but when I left off with cleaning the county courthouse’s 3 floors of offices including 911 dispatch, etc, everyone in every office had received an adjustable monitor/laptop stand that pulled up by a few feet so folks could stand at times — those with whom I spoke about them loved them.
I find it helps to just pay attention to my body. When my shoulders start getting tight, I get up and do some stretches, lift small weights, or just walk around the house to change positions. Dancing in the kitchen is helpful 🙂 Also, a wireless keyboard for my laptop helps.
A wedge cushion for your chair will be most helpful. Hip joints need to be slightly higher than knees when sitting and working at the computer. Wishing you happy solutions, and a resolution to discomfort—-
Hey Katie!! So thank you thank you for your card the other day. I’ve been meaning to write back to tell you how AWESOME it was to get it in the mail, but this will have to do for now because I hope I can point you to some resources that may be helpful 🙂
My first suggestion is work from a biomechanist named Katy Bowman – she has a book called Don’t Just Sit There (which I own along with all her other books), also an Instagram account, her Nutritious Movement website and a podcast called Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman. Maybe start with podcast episode 7 Exploring Dynamic Workstations (“there is no one, best static position”) and 86 Don’t Just Sit There..But Don’t Just Stand There Either. I’ve followed her work for along time and feel SO much better in my body because of what I’ve learned from her.
The other resource is new to me within the past few months, Petra Fisher Movement on Instagram. I just tagged you on a recent post “Ways to move while you work from home.” Good luck girl!!
Thank you so much!!
My chiropractor suggested a wrist wrest for the keyboard and mouse. I hope you figure out how to manage this.
I second the wedge cushion- if you can’t buy one, you can roll a towel or blanket, as long as your hips are higher than your knees. I also have a neck pillow, the one I have is called “bed buddy” I think. Also, stting an alarm on your phone for either every 20, 30 or 60 mins as a reminder to get up and do a few stretches, walk around.
I found this to be helpful: https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/ergonomics_tips_for_working_at_home.pdf