With the start of a new year, many people take the opportunity to review the past year, and to reset their goals & mindset for the year ahead.

Refreshed after a break over the holiday season, it is a good time to take a few minutes to review your work set-up and habits, in order to maximise your productivity and minimise the risk of developing a work related injury over the coming year. Often making simple adjustments to your chair or workstation (to ensure everything is appropriately positioned and set-up), can be sufficient to prevent injury, and can settle mild aches and pains.

Many businesses have embraced a working from home model over the past 2 years, and whilst this has eliminated lengthy commutes, it has also meant that many workers actually spend more hours seated at their desk each day at home.  In addition to ensuring that your workstation is well set, up, consider trying to incorporate regular mini breaks into your working day. Our bodies are made up of muscles, joints, tendons, nerves and ligaments, amongst other things. All of these structures are designed to move, in order to keep our tissues healthy, well oxygenated and supple.

Beneficial movement can be as simple as going for a quick walk around your home or office, or doing some stretches.  Exercise and movement provide a number of important benefits for workers, including reducing muscle tension, increasing range of movement in the joints, increasing blood circulation, and increasing energy levels. All of these help to reduce strain on your postural muscles, and lead to an increase in productivity.

We recommend that workers should aim to take a mini-break from their workstation at least every hour, and preferably every half hour, in order to reduce postural strain.

For more information about adjusting or    setting your workstation up correctly, please contact us at consultant@ergologic.com.au