For a lot of people, working during the coronavirus pandemic meant abruptly setting up a makeshift home office and working from home for a prolonged period of time. And while most people working from home have loved the “WFH” situation for various reasons, they are also not fully aware of the long-term health effects of how working from home has affected our bodies. What you read in this article may surprise you!
Working from Home Can Affect Our Posture
This may seem obvious, but you often don’t think about whether or not you are sitting in good posture until someone says something to you about it. Chances are, you’re currently slouched over in your non-ergonomic chair, bent in front of your computer desk, and craning your neck to see your tiny laptop screen – are we right? Having bad posture at a WFH desk creeps up on us over time and the effects of sitting with poor posture can stick with us.
Working from Home Can Cause Body Aches and Pain
Prolonged exposure to sitting with poor posture can cause body aches and even persisting pain. Your neck, shoulders, back, hips, wrists, legs, and knees can be negatively impacted by the way you are sitting while working from home. If you find yourself with new mystery aches and pains, we recommend evaluating your workstation. Some improvements you can make right away are:
- Raising your monitor height so it’s not too low (which causes unnecessary strain on your neck and shoulders). If your monitor is adjustable – great! If not, try propping it up on a stack of books or a box.
- Adjusting the height of your chair so your feet are planted firmly on the ground, which is better for your body’s circulation. If your chair height can’t be adjusted optimally, try adjusting your desk height instead!
Working from Home Can Cause Weight Gain
Surprisingly, the biggest reason why people who work from home are at risk of gaining weight is not that they are sitting sedentary for extended amounts of time. The biggest reason for weight gain is simply because you are grazing more! Food is more readily available to you at your home than it would be in a traditional work setting and it can be easy to mindlessly graze on snacks throughout the day. Sitting sedentary for long periods also contributes to weight gain if you are not maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. Overall, the additional weight on your body’s frame often contributes to aches and pains as well. Choosing healthy snacks and making sure to get those steps in can keep you healthy and reduce your inflammation levels which contribute to pain.
Working from Home Can Cause Eye Fatigue
Staring at a computer monitor for 8 hours a day can have serious side effects on your eyes. You can start to get headaches, experience blurry vision, and get dry eyes to name a few of the side effects. The best way to prevent further strain on your eyes is to take a break from your screen every so often and work close to a source of natural light.
Get the Care You Need at CW Rehab
If you find yourself with aches, pains, or other side effects you think are from working from home, we recommend getting professional help from our practitioners at CW Rehab. Let us assess your musculoskeletal function and treat you to feel like the best version of yourself again! Say goodbye to posture issues, aches, and pains. Contact us to book an appointment today!