18 Ergonomic Tips for a Healthier Workstation October 12 2026
Small changes at the desk add up. These are the ergonomic tips we have shared with Bay Area offices over the years, collected in one place. Work through them in order or jump to the ones that match a complaint you already have: sore neck, tired eyes, aching wrists, low back pain.
Chair and posture
1. Adjust your chair before anything else
Take a moment to learn the adjustment features of your chair. Most levers are labeled. Set the seat height so your feet rest flat, then set the back height and tilt tension. A chair fitted to you improves comfort and posture more than any other single change.
2. Check your alignment
Your ears, shoulders and hips should line up when you are seated at the computer. That keeps the spine in a neutral position and preserves the three natural curves of your back.
3. Use the lumbar support
Sit back against the seat back so it supports your lower spine. If the back height or depth adjusts, set it so the curve lands in the small of your back. If it still feels short, a lumbar cushion fills the gap.
4. Support your feet
Your feet should rest on the floor. If the chair is at the right height for the desk and your feet dangle, add a footrest rather than lowering the chair.
5. Standing for long stretches
If you stand for much of the day, stagger your stance with one foot slightly ahead of the other, keep a slight bend in the knees, shift your weight and change position often, and rest one foot on a footstool or rail when you can. An anti-fatigue mat helps too.
Monitor and eyes
6. Avoid glare
Do not place your monitor directly in front of a window. Sunlight behind the screen combined with reflections on it puts a lot of strain on your eyes. The ideal position is 90 degrees to natural light sources.
7. Set up dual monitors correctly
If you use both monitors equally, sit centered between them and angle each inward slightly. If one is your primary, put it directly in front of you and place the second beside it at about a 30 degree inward angle. A dual monitor arm makes this easy to dial in.
8. Follow the 20/20/20 rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. It relaxes the focusing muscles in the eye and cuts down on strain during long computer sessions.
9. Limit laptop-only work
Laptops are fine for email and travel, but the screen and keyboard are too close together for good posture. For more than an hour or two a day, dock it to a full-size monitor, keyboard and mouse, or raise it on a laptop arm with a separate keyboard.
Hands, wrists and neck
10. Keep wrists straight
If your wrists bend to the side while typing, a split-key or adjustable ergonomic keyboard brings them back to neutral. Neutral wrist posture reduces strain through the wrist and forearm, and correcting it now prevents aches later.
11. Watch for contact pressure
Wrists resting on a hard desk edge get sore. A wrist rest for the keyboard and mouse reduces the pressure and tends to improve wrist angle as well.
12. Raise your reading material
Reading papers lying flat on the desk is a common cause of neck soreness. A document holder positions pages at an angle between the keyboard and monitor so your neck stays neutral.
13. Stop cradling the phone
Holding the handset between your ear and shoulder strains the neck. Use speakerphone, a phone rest, or a headset if you are on calls for much of the day.
Desk and workspace
14. Keep frequent items within reach
Anything you use often should be reachable with a sweep of the arm, without leaning or twisting. Move everything else back.
15. Store heavy items at mid height
On shelves, put the heaviest items on the middle shelves and the lightest on top and bottom. Make sure the shelving unit is secured and seismically braced.
Lifting and moving
16. Lift in the strike zone
When a task involves a lot of lifting, arrange it so every lift starts and ends between mid thigh and chest height, close to the body.
17. Push instead of lift
Pushing and pulling put less strain on the back than lifting and lowering, and pushing is easier and safer than pulling. Where you can, convert a lift into a push.
18. Smoking and soft tissue strain
Smoking reduces the oxygen in your blood and significantly raises the risk of soft tissue sprains and strains. It is an ergonomic risk factor as well as a health one.
Want help setting up your workspace?
Creative Supports has been fitting ergonomic workstations for businesses in Walnut Creek, the East Bay and across Northern California since 1993. Book a free space-planning consultation, or browse our ergonomic office chairs, height-adjustable tables and workspace accessories.