ergonomics
Authenticity: A Simple Lesson
In 1991 I pioneered ergonomics and in 1996 I launched one of the first ergonomic product websites which I sold in 2008. I sold it because after 17 years in that business it was time to be authentic in a new area.
(Oh in case you are wondering, the ergonmics website I created is www.ergopro.com. Tell them I said hello!)
I realize that a part of me always thought that to be fully authentic I had to do everything on my own. Of course that is not the case. Authenticity develops on the inside and only recently did I begin understand that on a more meaningful level.
Here’s how it happened.
Nine months ago I met someone on Twitter whom I had noticed before but chose not to follow her because something felt “off.”
Call it intuition.
Weeks later she followed me and her first communication to me was that I was wrong about something. Being my forgiving and sometimes naive self I followed her and let it go knowing we all have our own perceptions.
On one of our early phone calls an intriguing idea presented itself to us. She wanted to get started right away and I was still in the middle of producing my Spiritual Grid Manifestation DVD and told her I was definitely interested and would let her know when I was ready.
Deep down my intuition was speaking to me and I knew that I could not work with her while creating my DVD. Months later I wrote her and suggested we create that program. It just felt like the right time.
We began a series of phone calls and became much clearer about the series. Being the consummate businesswoman I am I suggested a written agreement and even though she ignored me I allowed myself to get deeper into the project and kept “giving in.”
After a short time I realized she saw me as her “admin” when she frequently ordered me to take actions at a moments notice! Again I suggested we create an agreement about responsibilities and again it was ignored. Yet I kept going because the project was still intriguing to me.
I kept doing everything she asked and then got creative and practiced some videos in the park to promote the series. That same weekend she began accusing me of not working and my response was to stop working!
Funny how the mind works. She proceeded to send me a series of accusatory emails and then I began experiencing excrutiating pain and landed in the emergency room and then I could not work! Her emails kept coming even though she knew I was not well for several days. She even told me she did not care I was sick!
That is when I got it! It was the final straw and I told her I did not want to play with her anymore. It just hurt too much.
That very same day I had a series of phone calls with other people and the theme that kept appearing was authenticity!
My first clues of a potential conflict came many months before.
Once I was able to recognize the truth I wrote a letter to the list we created and told everyone that in order to be authentic I had to exit.
Fortunately I also now understand the meaning of authenticity on a deeper level. My authenticity has nothing to do with doing everything on my own as I once thought.
My authenticity has everything to do with staying true to my core beliefs and principles and only allowing people in my life that are serving me. It also has to feel good! When I listen to and take action on my intuition I am being authentic. The experience itself served me well and once I was able to rise above it and receive the learning I was complete.
Authenticity is certainly the theme of the moment for me. What about you?
What areas of your life are causing you to ponder? What have you been putting up with?
Let me know how this has served you.
Well it is time to take action on my new inspirations! But first I think it is time for some dark chocolate. Now that’s being authentic!
iLoveU !
Wendy
Headsets For Comfort – Part 4 – What Increases The Effectiveness of Headset Use
If you are using your headset regularly throughout the day and do not take some time for yourself and your body, the effectiveness of your headset is going to be limited.
Stretch and Rest
Push away from your computer from time to time. Really, it’s ok! Massage your neck, arms and hands. Then stretch. If your muscles feel tight then massage them again or place a warm towel over them before stretching. Close and cup your eyes. Then open them and look at something in the distance to relax the muscles you have been using.
You will notice an increased energy almost immediately.
You are not a machine and your body needs the rest. Get up from your chair. Walk down the hall or around the building. If it is a nice day go outside and be with nature for a few minutes. It will do wonders for you.
You will probably begin to notice that you are infused with new ideas with increased rest. Yes?
Move Your Body
Our bodies were designed to move. Move your legs right now as if you were walking in place. Yes. Go ahead and try it right now…..!
Did you do it?
If you did, what did you notice? You may have noticed that your breathing automatically changed. Our legs act like peripheral hearts. When you move your legs your circulation increases sending blood and oxygen throughout your body and increasing your energy. Change positions frequently throughout the day and whenever you can, get up and move around.
Relax and Breathe
So many people tend to feel a sense of obligation to sit and sit (and sit!) to finish a project. Like they think the answer is going to come from thinking more. Sometimes they try so hard to just think of what it is that they are missing when faced with a project deadline and they are increasing their stress level instead. This causes shallow breathing from the chest instead of from the diaphragm.
The lungs must fill to capacity in order to be at our best. The best advice is to rest and take some deep breaths. It is amazing how inspiration seems to flow and the problem we are in the middle of miraculously finds the solution.
Deep breathing helps the relaxation process and relaxing helps the breathing process. So try one and see what happens!
It has been a pleasure sending you this 4-Part Mini e-Course on increasing comfort with the use of headsets.
Let me know if you have any questions about additional ways of being comfortable.
Wendy
Headsets For Comfort – Part 3 – Physical, Psychological and Financial Benefits
There are many physiological and psychological and even financial benefits when you take care of your body with regular headset use.
Circulation Increases
Imagine bending a hose that has water running through it. The bend causes the flow of water to stop or just trickle out the end. This is what is happening in your body when your body is out of natural posture. If your neck is bent the circulation decreases.
Headset use helps you begin to feel better because it is allowing your neck to begin to move back to it’s natural posture. As mentioned previously there may be some additional steps you can do.
Oxygen and nutrients from your food can now help to heal and nourish this area through the bloodstream. When the neck is in alignment with the rest of the body the blood to carries these nutrients to this area more effectively.
Overall Wellness Increases and Stress Decreases
Regular use of a headset eliminates “negative stress energy.” There is an overall feeling of wellness when your neck is in a relaxed position.
Using your headset will allow all your neck muscles and tendons to be relaxed. Your mind is also at rest because it is not thinking about your bent neck and what pain might be developing long term.
You will notice how the mind is less frantic and rushed. Yeah! The stress is considerably reduced and you now are able to focus on the work without the physical influences.
Efficiency, Productivity and Income Increases
There is an inherent stress that comes with multi-tasking and cradling the phone in your neck. Headset use increases efficiency and reduces physical and mental stress. Now that you more relaxed and comfortable you feel better in every way. It is like a weight has been lifted!
Now your hands are completely free and you can easily perform other tasks while talking to the person at the other end of the line.
You can also fully focus on the conversation! You are fully present and new creative ideas and inspirations will be much more forthcoming now.
Your work will be of a higher quality and completed quicker and this is directly related to the bottom line.
Positive Mental Attitude
The increased efficiency and productivity discussed above helps to create an increased feeling of accomplishment. This goes a long way to create a positive mental attitude and this breeds more creativity and a positive outlook on each and everyday. The more the mind focuses on what is good the more good will come.
Can it get any better?
Tune in for Part 4 of this Headset Mini e-Course to find out how to increase the effectiveness of headset use.
See you then,
Wendy
Headsets For Comfort – Part 2 – Increase Comfort, Energy, Time, Productivity and Bottom Line
Using a headset brings back the natural curvature of the neck and increased comfort will most often be immediate. There are some additional things to pay attention to.
Be Aware
Continue to be aware of how you feel and take care of yourself appropriately to increase your comfort even more. If you are tired, then rest. If something hurts, stop immediately and investigate the pain source.
Get Some Bodywork Done
A bodyworker may help relax the muscles of the neck that have been sore. There are many modalities: massage, chiropractic, and physical therapy.
Seek out specialized practitioners to ease chronic pain. Some natural approaches are Hellerwork and Rolfing which have been known to help many people release the tension from their body and increase range of motion.
Visit with your doctor or holistic practitioner and make decisions based upon their advice and what feels right for you and your beliefs about healing.
Eat, Drink and Be Healthy
The tissues and cells of your neck and the rest of your body require hydration and proper nutrition to heal and maintain proper balance and function. Even the microscopic particles of food you eat travel to your neck, so make sure you eat wholesome foods and drink plenty of water for your weight!
Eat balanced meals always and organic foods when possible as well as raw fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and happy fats (raw nuts and seeds, avocados and olive oil). Avoid animal fats and trans fats (the hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils).
Take digestive enzymes when you eat cooked food to increase the digestion of the nutrients in your food. Take acidophilus to increase the good bacteria in your gut…especially if you have been taking antibiotics. This helps with digestion also. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well as the bad.
Drink water throughout the day to give it time to be absorbed and flush your body of toxins. An easy way to accomplish this is to fill your glass every hour!
If you are exercising (especially outside in the heat) you will probably want to drink extra water before you begin or take some with you depending on how long you will out.
Go Out To Lunch
How often do you eat your lunch at your desk especially when you have skipped breakfast? You are not saving time and are creating stress instead.
When you are eating while working, digestion slows. Taking bites between typing is like “eating your stress”.
When you are relaxed during meals breathing is fuller, digestion is easier and you have more energy. Spending time with friends adds more joy to your day and you are probably breathing deeper because you are having fun. That is even better!
What else can you expect?
Tune in for Part 3 for additional physiological, psychological and financial benefits of headset use.
See you then,
Wendy
Top 10 Laptop Ergonomic Tips to Prevent and Reduce Pain
This article was originally published September 2007…
Due to the rise in laptop sales at an all time high and the nature of laptop design there exists an entirely new set of ergonomic issues for computer users. Ergonomics touts the benefits of being able to adjust the keyboard, monitor and chair so that the workspace can be fitted to the computer user for maximum comfort and productivity.
The shoulders, neck, arms, hands and wrist must be in a relaxed position when viewing the screen and when typing and mousing. Oh yes, the back, hips and legs want to be comfortable too.
So let’s examine the Laptop Ergonomic Challenge.
The Laptop Ergonomic Challenge
In the case of laptops, the keyboard and monitor are connected at the hip and it is virtually impossible to adjust the keyboard and screen height independently of each other. If there were a way to adjust the screen up and pull the keyboard out, down and toward the laptop user it would let the shoulders relax and give them more breathing room. There would be less of a reach to the keyboard and the rest of the body could relax and work in it’s neutral posture and open posture.
This would allow the circulatory system to do it’s job much more effectively and would be a first step to solving many of the laptop ergonomic challenges.
Are any manufacturers listening?
The Effect on The Body
When the laptop is placed in the lap, the neck is bent down to see the screen. This moves the neck out of it’s natural S curve and actually stretches the muscles of the neck the opposite way creating a strain which can develop into chronic pain if not checked early on. The pain may continue on into the shoulder and into the back. It really depends on the amount of laptop usage and various other physical conditions of the body as well as additional factors such as the amount of exercise, stretching and rest. Stress plays a large part in this too.
The keyboard is smaller causing the keys to be closer together and this creates “shoulder scrunch” with tense muscles and reduced circulation. Often there is no room for an external mouse, so using the mouse in the middle of the keyboard further scrunches the body.
The keys are further away from the body so this causes a reach to the keyboard, which can cause additional strain. The wrists have no choice but to rest on the laptop’s hard surface and there is the likelihood that additional pressure is being placed on the underside of the wrist and carpal tunnel.
Often, the laptop is placed on a table that is too high (kitchen table, hotel or client’s desk) and this further tenses the shoulder muscles with keyboard and mouse use. In order to place the hands on the laptop to type the shoulder muscles are tensed up. The arms are in a positive tilt position and this make it more difficult for the circulation to pump blood and oxygen to the hands.
And now is an extremely important time to have that extra oxygen! Just when the body requires it the most is when it receives less.
An example of how this works outside of the laptop world is as follows: Can you remember a time when you were involved with an activity where your arms were working above your shoulders such as when hanging pictures or paining a wall? You may have felt extreme fatigue and had to stop because it required much more energy to hold your arm up or may have begun to feel pain.
Working for long stretches on a laptop not positioned for the body’s comfort will create this same condition. The main difference is that most of us do not paint and hang pictures everyday but the laptop use is so high that it is causing chronic pain for many.
Another location for laptops use is while seated on a couch with no back support this causes the shoulders to lean forward and moves the back and neck from it’s natural S curve, creating a posture that will cause discomfort.
Now that you understand the ergonomic challenges with frequent laptop use let’s discuss some solutions.
Some Simple Solutions
Here are my “Top 10 Laptop Ergonomic Tips to Prevent and Reduce Pain” to make laptop computing more comfortable in the office, at home and on the road.
1 – Use An External Ergonomic Keyboard
Attach a full size keyboard and place at a height for your shoulders to be relaxed. So many computer users are so used to working with tensed shoulders that they are not in touch with what it feels like for their shoulders to be relaxed.
To relax your shoulders drop your arms down by your side and let your shoulders relax. For deeper relaxation, take a deep breath as you raise them up and then let them drop slowly as you exhale.
Now bend your elbows keeping them close to your body. If your elbows are lower than then tops of the keys the keyboard is too high. When positioning your keyboard be sure your elbows are 1-2” above the top of the keys on your keyboard.
You may discover that your table height needs to be adjusted down or replaced before being able to adjust your keyboard correctly for your body. You may consider the purchase of an adjustable keyboard tray that is installed under your desk.
Please note that many of the ergonomic keyboards are shorter and will fit in many laptop bags. Proper placement of the keyboard will depend on the furniture being used while out of your office. In some cases it may be possible to place the keyboard on your lap for brief periods.
2 – Use An External Ergonomic Mouse
Pack an ergonomic mouse in your laptop bag and keep an extra one on your desk so you will always have an eternal mouse with you. This will allow you to keep your shoulders open and relaxed.
You may want to try a mouse that lets you work in a handshake position.
If you have a small frame, try a mouse with the click buttons located near the center of the body in front of the keyboard. These mice are larger so if you are traveling pack these in your luggage.
3 – Use A Docking Station and Full Size Monitor
In the office, use a docking station to easily move from portable to desktop use and your laptop becomes the CPU.
Many of the docking stations are high off the desk so do not place the monitor on top of the docking station otherwise the head and neck will bend back to view the screen causing neck and shoulder strain.
Move the docking station to the side and place the monitor directly in front of you.
Now you can adjust the monitor, keyboard and mouse to the correct height for your body. This will reduce stress on the body by placing the wrists, neck and shoulder in a more neutral position.
4 – Place Your Laptop on a Laptop Desk
Try a laptop desk that can be utilized in the lap for more comfort in airports, hotel room and client’s and branch offices.
There is plenty of room for an external mouse on the left or right and this helps to keep the shoulders in a more relaxed and open position creating decreasing the risk of pain.
The ventilation holes in the bottom of the laptop desk keep the laptop cool as it helps draw cool air in and allows the heat from the laptop to escape.
These desks can both be angled on the desk to firmly hold the laptop and position the screen at a more comfortable height for the eyes, neck and shoulders. Then a regular size keyboard can be used to keep the arms, wrists and hands comfortable too.
The lightweight, thin laptop desks stores easily in your laptop bag.
5 – Resting Sessions
With regular desktop computing use I usually recommend a resting every 60 minutes for 5-6 minutes. Resting is extra important while “laptoping” due to the extra strains on the body. Rest at least every 30 minutes for 5-6 minutes. It is best to get up from your chair and move around. This movement steps up your circulation and you may notice a slight change in your breathing, as computer users tend to breathe shallowly from the chest instead of the diaphragm.
Take short rests (microrests) every 5-10 minutes for about 10-15 seconds to increase the recovery time from laptop use. Just stop what you are doing, drop your hands by your side and take a few deep breaths. If you are not typing or mousing relax your arms away from your laptop as much as possible.
Allow yourself time during the day to rest your eyes, your mind and your body. Observe the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
This will help prevent eye fatigue and eyestrain.
6- Stretching Sessions
Further reduce laptop stress on the body by practicing simple stretches to keep the muscles and tendons flexible, allowing the circulation to bring blood and oxygen to the overused areas of the body.
If your muscles are tight you might want to massage your muscles and then stretch. Or you might even want to get a professional massage!
Simple stretches will release tension from your muscles and relax your body. You might even find yourself yawning. This is your body getting the oxygen it has been craving.
7 – Drink Plenty Of Water and Practice Deep Breathing
Water helps to keep the muscles and tendons hydrated and wash away the toxins that accumulate causing discomfort. You may even want to squeeze some lemon to help increase the cleansing of toxins. Plus it will make drinking water a lot more fun.
Practice deep breathing frequently to oxygenate your blood and energize you for the next work session. The laptop posture tends to reduce the breathing capabilities of the body because the diaphragm is crimped thus creating shallow breathing.
8 – Sit in a Chair that Supports Your Body
When using a laptop at home there may be a tendency to sit at the kitchen table, swivel chair, couch or bed. If that is the case, it is difficult to sit in a neutral and open posture that will support deep breathing and relaxed muscles.
Do your best to only use the laptop while seated in a comfortable chair that supports your body properly. Correct posture is the best way to prevent laptop pain and the chair is the most important component in a desktop setting and it is probably even more important with laptop use. Even while seated do your best to move around as much as possible.
9 – “Laptoping” on the Plane
When you are using your laptop on the plane realize that the tray tables are often high and will cause you to raise and tense your shoulder muscles. So you will be achy when you get off the plane. If there is enough room to place your laptop desk in your lap then great, otherwise you might want to purchase an upgraded seat with more room!
When using your laptop on the plan, take frequent breaks and move your body around while seated. Laptop computing can be treacherous on a plane. Be aware that the tray table is probably not the correct ergonomic height for your laptop.
10 – Listen to Your Body
The more you rest, stretch, breath and drink water the better you will feel at the end of the day. Even with all the correct ergonomic products your body wants the personal care.
If your are feeling any fatigue, discomfort or pain stop whatever you are doing and evaluate what is going on. This is a warning sign from your body that things are not quite right. Perhaps it has been two hours since you gave your body some rest.
Resting will decrease the chance of fatigue and discomfort and will actually increase your productivity. Working for hours on end for days at a time can only go on so long.
You only have one body. Listen to it.
Wendy
Common Computer Workstation Design Problems and Solutions to Reduce Pain at the Computer
Here are a few scenarios that could be the reason you are not comfortable while you are working with ideas to help you create a more ergonomically correct work area for your needs.
Chair Armrests Too High Or Low
In most instances the armrests are adjusted too high. Most keyboards are placed on surfaces too high for them and the computer user will adjust the armrest to the height of the work surface thinking this is supporting them properly. They are inadvertently raising their shoulders to a tensed position. If the shoulder muscles are tensed for any length of time with repetitive motion in the hands or arms, varying levels of pain or discomfort may develop depending on the length of time in this tensed position.
Solution:
Adjust the armrests up or down so that the shoulders muscles are in a relaxed position while resting on the armrests. If your shoulders are shrugged at all then the armrests are too high. If you are leaning into either armrest this could be an indication that the armrests are too low. The best way to do this is to drop your arms down by your side and just let your shoulders relax. It is important that you get a “feel” for this. In this fast paced and competitive world computer users are so focused on their work that they are not aware of the physical comfort changes that are occurring in their bodies on a daily basis.
Keyboard and Mouse Too High Or Low
This can create improper typing and mousing posture – either raising the shoulders creating tensed muscles or tilting neck down and creating bent wrists. Usually the keyboard is too high due to non-adjustable desks at standard manufacturing heights of 29”.
Solution: Raise or lower the work surface so that the shoulders are in a relaxed position. This can be done with an articulating arm/tray or an adjustable height desk. When the elbows are bent they should be slightly higher than the top of the keys on your keyboard. Keep wrists straight when typing and do not rest on pads while typing.
Mouse at a Different Level than Keyboard
This can create an awkward reach to the mouse. The arms should be close to the body when mousing with the elbows bent 90 – 120 degrees. Do not straighten your arm when mousing because it can cause fatigue and discomfort to the shoulder blade area.
Solution:
Place the mouse directly next to the keyboard preferably with no break between the keyboard and mouse. Be sure that your shoulders are in a relaxed position. Do not have
Monitor Too High Or Low
If the monitor is too low it requires bending the neck forward or down to view the screen. In high position the neck will bend backwards to read the screen.
Solution:
Try this exercise. Relax your head and neck. If you do this correctly your head will be in a slight forward tilt. Now relax your eyes by letting your eyes “fall” to their lowest position in your eyes. Notice the lowest line on the screen you can read without raising your eyes or head. Position the monitor height so that the information you are reading is centered around this area. Use the following as a guide: For 19-21” monitors the top of the view-able screen will be approximately 2” below the line of sight. The line of sight is defined as the imaginable straight line from your eyes to the screen. For 17” and smaller monitors your Let your eyes and body determine what is comfortable.
Monitor and Keyboard Not Centered Together
The computer user often will have the monitor placed to the side and will have to twist the neck left or right to view the screen. This added tension in the neck can create varying level of discomfort depe.
Solution:
Place the keyboard directly in front of the monitor so that you can look at the monitor without turning your neck sideways at all.
Monitor Positioned Incorrect With Respect to Overhead Light and Window
If the computer user is facing the window (or if the outside light is shining directly on the monitor) office glare may be a factor. If long fluorescent light bulbs overhead are perpendicular to the direction you are facing it can reflect in your eyes. The eyes constantly refocus throughout the day and the added glare from these two light sources can increase the risk of eyestrain.
Solution:
If you have long fluorescent light bulbs overhead try to face in the same direction as the length of the bulbs so the light will reflect off the side of your body instead of in your eyes. Place your monitor perpendicular to the window so the outside light will reflect off the side of your body. Due to the design of your office you may not be able to place your monitor correctly for each of these lighting sources. You may try closing or facing the blinds upwards to reduce the outside light.
How Does Your Chair Work For You?
Do you know how to adjust your chair. The chair is the foundation of the computer work area and if you have a great chair that is not adjusted properly then it will not do you any good. You want you feet to be flat on the floor or on a footrest.
Improper sitting posture:
If you are slouching in your chair you might be reducing your ability to take deep breathes due to collapsing your diaphragm. This can cause fatigue and discomfort because oxygen and nutrients cannot travel efficiently to your lower extremities and your brain.
Solution:
Sit all the way back in your chair with the lower part of your back firmly touching the backrest. This will enable you to sit in a neutral posture with ease.
Let me know how these ideas help and if you have any questions.
Wendy
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