If you are remote and work off a kitchen table and the like - how do you stop aches and pains?
Posted by cgknight1@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 31 comments
I'm 100% remote and usually work out of a home office - I have no access to it this week as I'm having shelves and the like being put in after repainting it.
I'm working off the kitchen table and:
* My back is killing me because the table is the wrong height, even with my office chair.
* My wrists and hands are killing me from having to use a laptop keyboard
This got me thinking - for those of you who do this all the time because you don't have space or for some other reason - what is your situation:
1) You have ways to manage this?
2) You have endless back and wrist pain?
3) ????????
Rough-Sprinkles2343@reddit
There’s a reason why the employer is still responsible for the workstation set up in homes. You can do a lot of musculoskeletal damage by poor posture, poor set up etc
Only thing I can say is to take regular posture breaks, regularly stretch all your limbs including neck and if possible try and sit and stand while working
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Oh absolutely - I'm just doing this for a few days while I'm waiting for Home Office 2.0 to be done - but because I see people doing this for years - from a practical perspective, I wonder what the outcome is.
Puzzleheaded_Drink76@reddit
Those tiny shallow desks you see squeezed into living rooms make me very twitchy for this reason.
Not that my employer has shown any interest in my desk setup
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Yeah I have a proper big office desk (well two).
screwfusdufusrufus@reddit
Get up and walk about. Go for runs Sit on the sofa to think about stuff Do weights on conference calls where I can turn the camera & mic off Generally don’t fix myself in one position
First_Folly@reddit
Refer to the VDU section of the health and safety at work documentation. Posture, seating and screen positioning all play a factor in contributing to chronic nerve conditions.
A purpose built or tailored workspace will help you to avoid injury.
DameKumquat@reddit
Figure out what height your hands, arse, feet, screen and keyboard need to be. Adjust all with cushions, footrest, and books. Don't mess about.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Hopefully my office will be up and running again by Monday - would not like weeks of this let along months!
Acceptable_Candle580@reddit
You don't, you get a proper wfh set-up.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Except - having done this for five years or so - I see lots of people working off their kitchen table for a long long time - hence the question.
Acceptable_Candle580@reddit
Then they have pain.
EmFan1999@reddit
Probably just switch to a different place when they have video calls? That’s what I do anyway. They get to look at a blank wall rather than my personal things
No-Daikon3645@reddit
Can't your company order proper office equipment for you? You need to do a DSE assessment.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
I think you might have just read the title? As per the text, not a normal situation for me so I don't need it.
No-Daikon3645@reddit
No, I read the whole thing. You should do a DSE assessment each time you move desks. This may be a one-off, but work should still give you proper equipment.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
I cannot be bothered with that - it would all arrive after I was back in my office then you either have to store the stuff or send it back.
Not worth it for three or four days.
HellPigeon1912@reddit
Some people are just built different.
I can sit in an ergonomic office chair with everything at the correct eye level and still have a sore neck and shoulders within an hour.
My wife works from home by creating some kind of nest out of blankets and cushions on the sofa and gets by just fine
tiny-brit@reddit
I'm also a sofa blanket nest person. I have a C-shaped table that slides under the sofa to bring my laptop closer to eye level and to set up a second monitor. It's very comfortable.
I'm in the office once or twice a week and my muscles ache after a day of sitting at a proper desk & chair. For me I think it's to do with being more relaxed at home vs holding more tension in my body at the office. I think I try too hard to have correct posture at the desk and actually end up causing myself more pain.
Background-End2272@reddit
I'm reading this from my sofa next, blankets pillows, lap tray, folding table for another screen.
I do also have a desk but I prefer a nest
quenishi@reddit
From a half-pint, don't forget footrests exist. If the table is on the tall side a footrest will allow you to meet it.
NGL, table setup wouldn't work for me. Hafta have a proper desk setup. Most of the tableworkers I've known do have aches but they don't talk about it much as there's nothing they could do due to lack of space. Husband did table over COVID, but had to have an office chair and a bit of other stuff to make it workable.
I'd also ensure you get up and go for a house circuit now and then - helps loosen stuff up. I also need regular exercise otherwise I end up with even more limited motion lol.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Good point - I wonder where my office foot rest currently is...
RainbowPenguin1000@reddit
I do this and never get any pains. I out it down to being a regular gym goer and weight training.
The stronger the body the more enduring it becomes.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Interesting - I'm at the gym five days a week and am pretty fit for my age.. (I think).
RainbowPenguin1000@reddit
Maybe in completely wrong then and just lucky
azkeel-smart@reddit
I had my home office, but because we moved and still renovating, I'm in the dining table camp for a while. It's surprisingly manageable, but I never sit for more than an hour without getting up and doing some physical activity.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'm more twitchy than when I'm in my actual home office.
Fluffy-Document-6927@reddit
Plug a proper mouse and keyboard in.
Put your big monitor on the kitchen table propped up on books to make it the proper height. Or put your laptop on top of books or boxes so the screen is at a good height.
Maybe some cushions to get you sitting at a better height for your kitchen table.
That's all I can think of based on when I've worked at less than ideal "desks".
No-Accident6125@reddit
By not working off a kitchen table if it is causing you pain. Anything else is not addressing the cause.
When did you last have a workstation assessment?
Your employer is within their rights to mandate that you work from the office (assuming they have one) if your workstation at home is unsuitable and you choose not to have a suitable setup.
cgknight1@reddit (OP)
Did you read the text of my post? The first bit?
No-Accident6125@reddit
Yes, but many work remotely for a company that also has an office. The point remains that if your setup is unsuitable and your employer becomes aware of it that they legally cannot ignore it.
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