Helen Reeves Osteopath

With the majority of the UK now working from home (WFH) for the foreseeable future, it’s important to make sure your WFH set up is comfortable and works for you. Here are some tips for you to try:

Choose your space- choose a quiet space, that is ideally away from areas that you would usually associate with relaxation, such as the sofa. Having separate areas for relaxing and working will mean that when it does come to the end of the day and you want to switch off, you’re able to!

Is your chair comfortable and practical?- Whether you already have a desk chair, or you’re working from a kitchen chair, its easy to set up the correct sitting position. Try to make sure your chair is high enough so that your bottom is higher than your knees, and use a cushion underneath your sitting bones. This will encourage a gentle curve (lordosis) through your lumbar spine and keep the hips open. This can help reduce the risk of developing lower back pain. If you have a desk chair, make sure that you make use of the lumbar support on the back and try tilting the seat forwards to lift your bottom, this will also encourage a lumbar lordosis. You can even try sitting on an exercise ball so that you can keep your lumbar spine, pelvis and hips mobile, as well as activating your core muscles!

Is your screen large enough?- Many people will have found themselves working for long hours at a small laptop or tablet screen, which can lead to squinting and straining the eyes, or getting closer so that you’re able to read what’s on screen. If getting a new, larger monitor isn’t possible or practical, try making the on screen image larger.

Ensure your screen and desk is the right height- Ergonomics is taken very seriously in most offices, so make sure your set up is comfortable. Here are a few tips: if you find yourself looking down a lot at the screen, lift the screen up with books or a shoe box- ideally you should be looking straight forwards and your neck should feel neutral; make sure your desk is the correct height for you- the shoulders should be relaxed and arms able to rest comfortably on the table.

Get into a routine- It may sound silly, but getting into a routine will make working from home feel easier. Try setting your alarm for a similar time that you would normally get up for work and take regular mini breaks from your home office set up, as you would in the work place. Working in your pyjamas all day may be comfortable, but they are associated with a relaxed state, so may hinder productivity.

Thank you to my boyfriend for modelling so beautifully!

Further to my post last week, here’s some more info on how learning a new skill affects brain function!

The Top 7 Benefits of Learning a New Skill People learn new skills for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you need new skills for your job to keep up with technological advances or to take advantage of newly developed techniques. When you lear…

Whether you are fully self isolating or social distancing, use this extra time at home as an opportunity to do something productive and enjoyable! Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

- Get outside: make time to go outside daily. Walk, run or cycle, ideally in some green or blue space, as this more mentally stimulating. Exercising outside will also help to maintain cardiovascular fitness while gyms are closed and sport is suspended. Keeping fit also helps to keep the immune system in good working order!

- Learn a new skill: whether it’s a language, sewing, baking or playing an instrument! Learning a new skill can boost mental health and give a great sense of satisfaction. Learning a new skill also changes your brain chemistry and increases white matter density, which helps with the the process of learning. New research indicates that learning new skills as we get older could even help stave off the effects of dementia, as this is caused by reduced white matter in the brain.

- Meditate: meditating is a great way to reconnect with how you’re feeling physically and emotionally, and bring you back to the present moment. Many of us tend to put our own feelings on the back burner a lot of the time and constantly find ourselves thinking about the next task we need to do or what we haven’t done yet. Meditation can also help reduce any anxiety that you may be feeling at this uncertain and stressful time.

- Get creative: being creative isn’t limited to just arts and crafts activities! Being creative in any activity promotes thinking and improves problem solving, reduces stress and anxiety and can give us a sense of purpose.

- Gardening: this extra time at home could be a great opportunity to start growing your own fruits and veggies, especially now the days are getting longer and (slightly) warmer. Growing your own is a great activity to boost mental health, as it gives a sense of satisfaction when you harvest your first crop after nurturing your seedlings. It’s also a great activity to teach kids where their food comes from and promote healthy eating and encourage trying new foods.

What are you doing during this strange and uncertain time of social distancing?

Basic hygiene is the best way to prevent catching or passing on coronavirus, or any other infections illness for that matter. Keep calm, and keep clean!

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/even-light-activity-reduces-risk-of-depression-in-young-people-study-suggests/

Even light activity reduces risk of depression in young people, study suggests Researchers found that every additional hour of light activity each day in adolescence reduced symptoms of depression at 18.