Desk Job Struggle

For those who have a 9-5 know that the struggle is real when it comes to sitting in front of the computer for 8 hours. Many who have physically demanding laborious jobs don't understand why those of us who "sit at a desk all day" are even tired.

I was fortunate enough to take part in an ergonomic training class with my current company and learned great information regarding this topic and I'd love to share it.
 
Let me break it down for those who don't understand as to why we're so tired at the end of each day.
 

• Our bodies were not built to sit down for 8 straight hours and be in front of a "TV" screen.
• As we are sitting our spines are curving inward and therefore causing back, neck, and shoulder pain.
• In an effort to be comfortable throughout the day we tend to slouch which then causes our neck and shoulders to hold the weight of our heads. Care to guess how much our heads weigh? 8-11 pounds!
• Our brain is working 100% of the time as we're constantly having to answer emails, enter data, answer phones, work on spreadsheets, etc. These are high demand jobs that require a great deal of attention and speed since our technology is constantly updated.

Having had a desk job for the last 6 years has definitely taken a toll mentally and physically. Just  2 years ago I had to purchase my first pair of glasses to relieve my strained eyes from looking at 3 monitors at once. I've had to regularly visit a chiropractor to relieve my back pain. I've had pinched nerves periodically that are quite bothersome. Lastly, I've gained weight from sitting all day long and having food constantly catered from clients.

That last one is definitely a first world problem that I'm grateful for, but for someone who does not enjoy exercising at all, it's been difficult to maintain my weight.

Here are some helpful tips I've learned from the training course to help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort for those who have desk jobs.

• If you are fortunate enough to have sit-stand desks like my job has provided, try to stand for at least 2.5 hours each day.
• Take a water or bathroom break anytime you feel uncomfortable in your chair and/or constantly moving to find a comfortable spot.
• Use a medicine ball instead of a chair.
• Sit all the way back in your chair so that you are upright.
• Make sure your keyboard is level to where your arms bend so that you are not having to lift your arms, which by the way can weigh up to 17 pounds.
• Use the 80/20 rule to determine the top 20% items you use 80% of the time and place them within hand's reach. (In my case I have my phone, post-it notes, notepad, pen, and paperclips within hand's reach as they are the items I use most.)
• If available, use padding on your mouse pads and keyboards to provide extra support to our wrists. (Something new I learned today, it turns out Doctors are misdiagnosing carpel tunnel as a way to perform surgery when in fact it may be a case of stressed/damaged nerves from poor posture.)
• Purchase a footrest for your feet to elevate/extend your legs to provide comfort and relieve stress.

Hopefully these tips will help you relieve some stress and/or pain from sitting at your desk all day. I'm truly blessed to work for a company that has provided all 70 of us with sit-stand desks. If your office is small enough and you have a great working relationship with your manager, I'd definitely suggest the sit-stand desk. With the push of a button my desk goes from seating level to standing in a matter of seconds.

For many who have never had a desk job it's simple to suggest we just find something else, but someone needs to get the job done. ;)

If after reading this you try any of the suggestions above, please let me know how it works for you, I'd love to find out if it makes a difference for anyone.