Do you end your working day with a backache, a headache or a neck ache?
These home office set-up ideas will explain why you should choose ergonomics to set up your home office.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, many of us chose or were forced to work remotely.
In this article we will share our own home office set-up ideas with you.
Then, you’ll understand why ergonomics are important to your comfort.
What is Ergonomics And Why Is It Important?
The dictionary definition of “ergonomics” is this:
“designed to minimize physical effort and discomfort, and hence maximize efficiency”
Therefore, if you are working from home, your productivity will increase if you have a properly set-up work space.
One that creates comfort for you.
You should avoid working at the dining room table or sitting on the sofa.
Certainly for long periods of time.
These impromptu working spaces are okay for short bursts.
But you ought to have a dedicated ergonomic home office set up.
Why I Chose Ergonomics For My Home Office.
I have suffered from lower back issues for most of my life.
So, I find it difficult to sit for long periods of time at my desk and have difficulty getting up.
In addition to this, sitting and working at my computer for long periods creates pain in my neck and shoulders.
This is even though I get up frequently and move around.
I decided that there must be a better way.
So, I did some research to see how I could improve things, especially my home office environment.
I discovered some of the items I will share with you here that have improved my working environment.
Now, I can work all day without pain in my shoulders, neck or lower back.
Here’s How I Did It.
I already had a large L-Shaped Desk that fits into the corner of the room.
I find this to be a good and effective work space.
The Chair.
Next, I bought a good desk chair that has both lumbar and neck support.
This image shows the side and front view of the chair.

However, my sitting position was still not exactly what I wanted.
So, I got a memory foam wedge cushion to lift myself up to get the best benefit of the chair.
The Desk Riser.
I wanted to be able to sit or stand at my desk.
Therefore, I decided to purchase a desk riser for my laptop so that I could move it up or down as I needed.
This was rather than having the whole desk move.
Mine cost around $90 from Amazon and a quick search for “desk risers” will turn up plenty for you.
I am not an Amazon associate, so cannot provide you with a link to the product.
Some desk risers already have a two-level top, so that your computer can be higher than your keyboard.
However, I purchased a separate adjustable stand for my laptop.
In this way, I can ensure it will be at the right height and the right distance away.
Your computer screen should be about an arm’s length away from your eyes.
So, you need to be able to adjust this distance, too.
Remember, for ergonomics to work, your elbows should be at about a 90 degree angle when using the keyboard.
So, do not raise it too high
A Standing Mat.
We live in Florida, all our floors are ceramic tile and I hardly ever wear shoes in the house.
This can be quite hard on the feet when standing for prolonged periods.
There are quite a few “anti-fatigue” standing mats available today.
I’m sure that they will all do a good job..
I am very happy with mine. In addition to it being very comfortable while standing for long periods, it has some interesting features.
There are a whole range of bumps, lumps and raised lines that you can use to exercise your feet while standing on it.
I love these features and move around on it all the time.

Now, my feet are never tired at the end of the day.
My neck and shoulders feel great and my lower back pain is much improved.
Here’s an image of how I put the ergonomics into my home office setup:

What About The Set-Up Costs?
Of course, the cost of purchasing the top-of-the-range, ergonomically designed, equipment for your home office can be quite astronomical.
It doesn’t need to be.
After reading this article you can see how I added ergonomics to my home office economically.
Each person’s ergonomic set-up will be different.
You need to find what works for you.
How can you make your own working environment more comfortable for you?
Using ergonomics as a guide, you can quite inexpensively create your own home office set-up ideas.
I’m sure you’ll find your home working environment even more pleasant.
Here is a related post about working from home.
Final Thoughts On Home Office Set-Up Ideas.
Are you still with me?
Do you agree with me that there are some huge health advantages to setting up your home office environment ergonomically?
Not only that, but also, with a better office set-up your productivity will benefit.
If you are comfortable and healthy at work, you will have less stress and be inspired to work more efficiently.
When your office is set-up in the right way just for you it will enhance your working life on a daily basis.
Working from home is a great way to earn a living, either full-time or as a side-hustle.
So, why not invest a little in yourself and find some home office set-up ideas that suit you, personally.
As a final thought, you may like to add further ambiance with a couple of potted plants, and perhaps, some family photographs.
Feel free to experiment with the ambiance ideas.
Whatever makes you happy.
Most of us are at work for large parts of our days.
That being said, we might as well be surrounded by beautiful things that make us happy.

I found myself working from home in the last two years, not all the time but at least one day a week. My chair sucked, and my back hurt by the end of the day. Two things that I invested in were a better chair and a manual desk riser with an anti-fatigue mat so that I could stand. It made all the difference in the world.
Hi Jamie, Thanks for stopping by and commenting about your own experience in working from home. I know exactly what you mean and personally feel so much better at the end of each day now that I’ve set up my home office properly. Cheers, jenni.
Hi Jenni, thanks so much for the home office ideas for choosing ergonomics. I sit in front of my laptop a good portion of the day and my back does get tired and sore. I do pick my laptop up and walk through to the kitchen and place it on a higher level so I can work standing up too. Thanks for the tips – the mat under one’s feet is also interesting – I too work barefoot a lot of the time – The Carolinas are very hot like Florida in the Summer!
Hey Kathie, Thanks for checking in with my article about home office set-up ideas. I must say that I really cannot work without my anti-fatigue mat these days. It makes all the difference and as I said in the article, no more shoulder or back ache. Best wishes, Jenni.
Thanks for sharing this informative article. Honestly, I never thought of having a home office which is why I found this article very useful. I use to work on my laptop anywhere sometimes on the bed, dining, or sofa. I get back pains and keep changing positions just to feel comfortable.
I will set up a comfortable working place in my home, I believe this will be of great impact on my productivity.
Hello Bethel, Thank you for commenting on my article about home office set-up ideas. I’m glad that you found it useful and it gave you food for thought about your own working environment. You won’t regret it if you set-up your work space properly. Best wishes, Jenni.