The Homeworker's Handbook

The Homeworker’s Handbook Ergonomics | Productivity | Mental Health

Welcome Within this e-book you will find resources to optimize your home workstation, making it safer and ergonomically friendly.

There is advice within this guide on how to ‘hack’ your home workstation if you do not have purpose built equipment at home.

This guidance will align you as close as possible to the DSE guidelines set by the HSE.

We will share with you, some healthy ‘working from home’ habits and some great productivity advice to help you make the most of working from home.

There is also some expert advice on how you can take care of your own mental wellbeing with some self management techniques which will also help you to look out for others around you.

Contents

Your Workstation Your Chair Top Tips Your Monitor Your Keyboard & Mouse Laptops Boost Your Productivity Healthy Habits Mental Health Mental Health Awareness Managing Mental Wellbeing

Your workstation Setting up a workstation at home may be more complicated if you need to work from home and do not have all the correct equipment.

If this is the case you will need to adapt what you do have to make it work in the short term, until a better solution can be provided.

ü

Choose a flat stable surface you are

able

to

get

your

legs

underneath

ü

Ensure your chosen workstation is away from glare reflections, that can be harmful to your eyes.

ü

Set up your workstation away from any noise or distractions

Your Chair If you don’t have a typical office chair you may need to adapt a chair you do have at home.

Your chair height should position you so that your fingers float above the A-L row of the keyboard when your forearms are parallel to the floor.

ü

If you are too low put some cushions underneath you to raise your height.

ü

If your feet come off the ground, find something solid to rest your feet on.

ü

Your feet should take even weight distribution.

Top Tips Ăź

Try to make sure your knees are lower than your hips.

This encourages good posture and ensures sufficient blood-flow to the lower legs.

Ăź

If you have back support that is upright on your chair keep your back in contact with it. You can use a cushion to support you if you need.

ü

If you are sitting on a stool or a chair that isn’t as comfortable for you as the one at your office make sure to get up and move around more frequently (at least every 20 minutes).

ü

If you do not have anything fit to adapt in the short term let your employer know.

Your Monitor 端

Ensure your screen is directly in front of you.

端

The top of your screen should be at about eye level

端

Your screen should be at about an arms length away

端

If you use varifocals lower your monitor slightly

Keyboard

Your Keyboard should be placed directly in front of you, approximately 10cm from the edge of the desk.

Ensure your mouse is as close as possible to your side to avoid over-reaching. Keep your mouse as close to the key-board as possible

Laptops Raise your screen so that the top of the screen is at eye level.

If you don’t have a laptop stand use a pile of large books!

When you do this, plug in a separate keyboard.

mouse

and

Raising your screen and using a separate keyboard & mouse is critical to ensure correct posture and will considerably

reduce

your

risk

of

developing musculo-skeletal issues.

đ?˜…

Avoid using your touch pad for over 20 minutes

đ?˜…

Using a laptop on your lap is really bad for your posture

Boost Productivity Creating a morning routine to prepare you for the day ahead can boost productivity and increase your chances of having a successful work day.

Aim to get up at the same time each morning, this vastly improves sleep quality over time and leads to increased

productivity

and

concentration.

When you get ready for the day, make sure you get out of your pyjamas and into ‘day clothes’.

Some people find they are more productive wearing their full office attire, but it is good to do what works best for.

Eat the frog!

The Frog is the task that you need to do, but don’t want to do.

The sooner you get these tasks out of the way the sooner you can make time for the more engaging tasks.

If you don’t eat the frog you could waste time procrastinating or delaying other important tasks.

Planning & Communication One of the most important steps is to plan your day ahead (you can do this in the morning or the night before).

Plan your work related tasks, goals and targets plus your breaks and any other activity.

Planning improves focus on the tasks at hand, increases clarity and reduces stress.

Stay in touch with colleagues throughout the day. Book meetings via video link with your team to improve collaboration.

Tip: If you are working from home alone most of the time and you find

you

are

communicating

mainly via e-mail chains, then try picking up the phone and have an interactive conversation instead.

Healthy Habits Ăź

Keep regular hours and do

something at the end of your workday to separate it from your home-life.

Ăź feel

Listen to your body, if you uncomfortable

adjust

something or get up and move around for a couple of minutes.

ü

When on the phone, use the opportunity to stretch your legs.

ü

Make time for exercise and healthy eating during the day.

ü

Identify the time of day you are usually most productive in order to achieve your daily objectives.

Mental Health During times of uncertainty or when significant changes occur, people can be more susceptible to suffering with poor mental health.

Working from home at short notice with improper equipment, new communication systems and possibly

spending

many

days

without real human interaction can cause anxiety, loneliness and worry.

If you have concerns that your working

arrangements

are

impacting your mental health, communicate your concerns to your manager so you can be provided with the support you need – Do not allow any condition that is negatively impacting your mental health to carry on for extended periods of time.

Mental Healt Being aware of yourself can help identify poor mental health early so support can be provided sooner.

Signs to look out for in yourself: •

Skin problems

•

Irritability and lack of patience

•

Low energy or feeling run down

•

Difficulty sleeping and relaxing

•

Tearful for no apparent reason

h Awareness Signs to look out for in others: •

Low concentration

•

Higher than average absence

•

Working excessively long hours every day

•

Short temper or high impatience

•

Behavior that is out of character

During this time it is good to support each other. If you notice these behaviors in others, try to reach out and offer support.

Managing Mental Wellbeing There are a number of techniques you can use to overcome negative feelings, mild anxiety or low mood:

Routine When you are working from home it is important to keep elements of structure in your day. Still shower and get dressed in the morning, even if you are wearing casual clothes. Scheduling in time for yourself,

whether

that

be

for

meditation, a hot bath or half an hour reading a book will is so beneficial

Connection It is really important to keep in contact

with

friends

and

family, reach out to them when you are feeling low and open up to them about your feelings.

If you feel lonely, try to nurture any connections you do have and remember you really are not alone.

If you feel like you could benefit from talking to a professional, you can always contact your doctor.

Exercise Can boost your mood as it raises endorphin levels. each week, this is any activity that increases your heart rate. You could choose to walk, run, cycle, swim, do some gardening or house work.

Exercise can help: Sleep quality: by increasing the amount of time you

spend in restorative levels of sleep.

Improve your mood: physical activity releases feel-

good hormones, such as serotonin, that make you feel good in yourself and boost your energy.

Manage stress, anxiety or intrusive thoughts: Physical

activity releases cortisol which helps manage stress and gives your brain something to focus on, this can be a positive coping strategy for difficult times.

Be Proactive!

If you are in a negative state of mind, encourage yourself to think about a good time or a positive experience.

Remember how you felt, the sounds you heard, what

you

could

see

around you that made you happy.

You can also use your imagination to visualize somewhere peaceful to help relax and refocus your energy.

Practicing mindfulness This is not a quick fix method, it takes practice, and confronting negative thought processes can be difficult at first, but it will address the root cause of the problems rather than mask them. Learn more here.

Self awareness A lot of people depend on others to support their good mental health.

The best person to take care of your good mental health is YOU. Practice expressing gratitude, when you give thanks you will experience more positive emotions, increase your self esteem, improve your relationships, and strengthen your immune system. ü Value yourself- Treat yourself with kindness and respect. ü Make time for yourself ü Check your attitude regularly – is it positive or negative?

The way we work is changing‌ Find out more about our flexible DSE solutions for flexible working arrangements.

Solutions that put you back in control and back to focusing on what you do best.

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