If you’re like most people, a bit of nagging aches and pains can make you grumpy and less productive at work; after all, you’re not at your most productive when you’re physically uncomfortable. Take a moment to consider the aches and pains you may regularly experience. How many of them are related to how your desk is set up? If you don’t have an ergonomic workstation, your posture may suffer, and your risk of injury may increase—and that’s sure to raise your stress level!
Imagine how your productivity would be affected if you were always fatigued, in pain, or otherwise uncomfortable during the workday. Now multiply that to your whole team. When no one is at their best, everyone’s stress increases, while overall productivity plummets. Keeping workplace ergonomics in mind—like controlling screen glare, reducing motion, improving posture, and positioning equipment at ideal heights and reaches—can help increase efficiency and employee engagement.
You can buy ergonomic products that help promote better posture, like an adjustable height computer workstation. An adjustable desk enables you to work while standing or sitting because you can raise or lower the height to the correct ergonomic position: where your monitor is at eye level. A properly positioned monitor will help prevent eye strain as well as pain in the neck and shoulders.
You’ll improve workplace ergonomics even further by pairing ergonomic standing desks with the best ergonomic keyboard tray you can find. An under-desk keyboard tray will help you position your keyboard at elbow height—the ideal typing posture—which can reduce discomfort and injuries in the hands, wrists, and arms.
Another tip that can help reduce workplace stress is increasing physical activity. Be sure you and your team take regular breaks to walk around or stretch for a few moments every hour or two. When you vary your body’s position, you help protect against musculoskeletal injuries as well as increasing blood flow, which can give you a little energy boost.
Lower workplace stress while boosting creativity and productivity by improving workplace ergonomics. Take some time to evaluate your workstations, and talk to your coworkers to get input into how you work together to reduce workplace stress. Making it a team effort gets everyone involved, which can raise morale.
Improving workplace ergonomics can also lower stress by reducing sick days, injuries, and long-term health problems that can negatively affect a person’s career. After all, if your team isn’t distracted by physical discomfort, they can better focus on doing their jobs. And that benefits everyone’s bottom line.