Working from home on a laptop? 5 ergonomic tips you should click on

How are your shoulders feeling? How about your back and wrists?

If the pandemic means you're working from home on a laptop, these are the kinds of questions you need to be asking yourself, according toEdmonton-based occupational therapist andcertified ergonomist Linda Miller.

In an interview with Russell Bowers on CBC Radio's Daybreak Alberta, thepresident of EWI Works says we're living in different times.

"A lot of us have worked at home before but it might be in the evening for an hour here or there, now we've been deployed with a laptop and a cellphone and you're here all day."

How ergonomic is your space?

4 years ago

Duration 0:58

We're sharing five tips that might help you when working from home.

Laptop not really meant for the lap

Miller suggests using a stable surfaceinstead of the sofa. Ideally, that means setting up on a flat, hard surface that's free of clutter.

"I've heard from people, they're either sitting at a dining room table, or a kitchen island, others are even set up in a bedroom because they're trying to get privacy, with their spouse and kids home,"she said.

• Working from home for the first time? Here's how to make it a success
• Our writers share their best tips for working from home

When possible, use a chair with a backrestthat supports the lower back. Miller says knees should be bent at 90-120 degrees with two to three inches of space behind your legs and the front edge of the seat.

Feet should be supported either on the floor or on a footrest.

• Tips for avoiding back pain and injury while working from home

Arrange the keyboard and mouse so they're beside each other at the same height, and close to the front edge of the work surface.

• Tips to set up a comfortable work-from-home space

If you can elevate the monitor so the top of the screen is at eye level this will prevent next strain. Miller recommends maybe raising it withsome books or a box.

• How to survive and thrive in your new at-home work station

Take a Break

Take a break every 30 minutes and a short walk around your work area every hour.

"I think if you could set a timer on your phoneor I even have people going back to old-style egg timers, so it dings, it kindof gets you building a new routine because we can get lost in an activity pretty fast," said Miller.

She points to the free online resources out there, including a new free app her company has just developed.

"Start with the free resources and see what you can solve on your own. There are lots of things you can do very simply."