Professional writers spend a whole lot of time working at their desks.
Just like other professionals, their job also warrants dedication. They need to meet deadlines for several projects lined up in succession.
One day, they are hired for creating a technical manuscript, and the next day, they are presented with ideas to craft a creative, engaging blog post and tantalize readers.
Authors have to keep abreast of the latest research in their very niche while still stay on top of their workload to land the jobs on time.
With so much diversity and commitment to their work, it’s not unusual to forget about creating a perfect ergonomic workspace. They may be sitting at their desks hunched over the computers typing for hours.
Being so absorbed in the project at hand, wordsmiths may even forget to take breaks as well as neglect the spinal strains caused by poor working postures. The outcome? Ripple effects — musculoskeletal and other health problems, subpar work performance, and low productivity.
After all, not everyone can be J.K. Rowling — the author of Harry Potter — who can write just anywhere as she’s capable of making up the names of her characters on an airplane sick bag.
In our opinion, people in the creative industry, such as professional writers, ought to have their secluded, comfortable workspace where they can come up with their creative, infinite imagination. Every element of their workplace should mirror the type of work they do — i.e., it should be inspiring, beckoning, and set up ergonomically.
Workstations that are customized to our needs and preferences are capable of striking just the right balance between the work productivity and our comfort levels. Ergonomic experts refer to it as the ‘desk effect,’ the potential impact that your desk layout and workplace ergonomics have on your productivity and professional satisfaction.
Here are some suggestions that you might want to mull over to get your workplace sorted out to be a successful, healthy writer.
1. Stand Up for your Health
Since our bodies aren’t designed naturally to sit still for hours, they need to stand and move more to stay healthy. You know you can’t nix the ill effects of an overly sedentary lifestyle even if you work out. So, even at work, standing is vital to optimal well-being.
The industry-leading brand, FlexiSpot recommends alternating between sitting and standing every 30 - 45 minutes for optimum health.
To attain maximum benefits, FlexiSpot has made it pretty easy to transition from sitting to standing and vice versa in less than 10 seconds via its Electric Height Adjustable Sit-Stand Desks.
Alternating your posture during desk work prevents any undue strain on your spine, arms, and legs. Plus, don’t forget to grab an anti-fatigue mat to combat foot and leg fatigue while standing!
2. Perfect your Posture
While using the keyboard, try to keep your forearms at right angles to your body (parallel to the floor).
When typing, make sure your wrists are straight and in a neutral position with elbows bent at an open 90-110 degree angle.
You should be looking straight at your screen with shoulders relaxed but without your head leaning forward. A forward head posture exerts too much pressure on your spine. To prevent a hunchback posture, position your monitor so that your eyes are looking across at the top third of the monitor.
For bonus ergo points, get our premium 3-stage electric height adjustable desk. It ensures seamless transitions, with an optional digital display that shows your exact height and saves your favorite presets.
3. Take Frequent Micro-breaks
Taking a microbreak is like giving your overused set of muscles some downtime (such as the finger flexors when you're doing a lot of typing).
We know it can be hard when you’re working in the flow. Moreover, writing can be hypnotic—you can easily lose track of how long you've been working.
Nonetheless, making a habit of taking a brief three-to-five-minute break between bouts of typing can be of great help.
Try something different during these short breaks, such as:
- Standing up
- Stretching and wiggling your body
- Rotating and stretching your neck
- Rotating your wrists
- Moving around
- Doing one or two push-ups
- Giving your eye muscles a little rest by moving them away from your computer screen for a minute or two. This prevents undue strain to your eyes, which occurs in users with excessive screen time.
4. Take Exercise Breaks
For this, you may try our Deskcise Pro for a great aerobic workout while resting your hands on its desk as you go on to read your favorite magazine or book. Cycling helps build core strength, and strong muscles equate better posture!
5. Use a Desk Riser
Desk risers or standing desk converters are even healthier ergonomic additions to your workstations, enabling an easy switch from sitting to standing and vice versa.
Simply place your monitor or laptop on the top shelf and keyboard with its mouse on the lower shelf. Then raise or lower the desk to your desired height.
Our DIY converter, the standing desk converter is specifically designed to prevent slouching. It helps you maintain an ergonomically perfect posture.
Moreover, to prevent straining your wrists while typing, our ClassicRiser provides ample room for a full-sized keyboard along with its mouse and mousepad. Healthy wrist positioning minimizes the stress that could otherwise stem from using a keyboard tray in the not so ergonomic, positive tilted position.
Likewise, the FlexiSpot’s AlcoveRiser standing desk Eco Series converters offer extra spacious work surface that writers desire the most. You can place a huge desktop as well as desk accessories but still, work comfortably for hours.