Who among us hasn't hunched over a laptop for hours, only to feel the ache in our necks and pinch in our shoulders later?
Yet in our rush to be productive and hop from cafe to Airbnb, we rarely pause to consider ergonomics.
James Crow from Posture Stars, knows that pain intimately. As an IT consultant racing to meet client demands, he worked long hours without the proper equipment. Soon chronic pain forced him to stop working altogether. But in his time away, James uncovered a new passion - learning about posture, ergonomics, and the body's need for mindfulness.
In his own words, "I won't stop until people are comfortable at work."
A mission we also share, which is why we’re proud to showcase James Crow’s 4 top tips and ultimate ergonomic class today!
While companies often view ergonomics as an expensive hassle, James demonstrates below how small tweaks and smart gear create enormous benefits.
1. Pick the Perfect Chair and Sit Correctly
"When it comes to seating, you get what you pay for. Invest in a proper ergonomic chair if you spend hours sitting."
A good chair optimises comfort and spinal health.
Set the height so your hips are slightly higher than your knees, keeping both feet flat. Slide the seat so you contact the back while a small gap remains behind your knees. Let the backrest move freely as you shift positions.
Proper chair settings prevent hunching forward and relieve neck, shoulder and back pain. But don't stop there - optimise your posture and habits too.
First, stand with feet hip-width apart. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your pelvis back as you smoothly fold down into the chair. Feel your spine stack as gravity seats you. Just like that, ideal posture is achieved effortlessly!
Keep elbows around 90 degrees with forearms fully supported on parallel armrests. Resist hunching forward - gracefully glide your chair into proper alignment.
Though cushion add-ons promise relief, they signal a poor fit. Seek long-term comfort through quality design, not makeshift pads.
Now let's discuss leg crossing - stop it, stop it now!
A common habit that strains posture over time. It misaligns the pelvis and spine while restricting blood flow. With proper chair support, keep both feet flat without contorting.
Retraining takes commitment, but correct posture soon becomes a habit. As James advises,
"Retrain yourself now and reap benefits for decades."
Small posture optimizations make a huge difference. Invest in an ergonomic chair, fine-tune it to you, and mindfully develop healthy sitting habits.
2. Easy on the Eyes: Position Your Laptop Screen at Eye Level With Your Nexstand Laptop Stand
Staring down at a laptop strains the neck and tires the eyes. But raising the screen too high creates other problems.
"Our eyes don't naturally like looking up."
Gazing upward compresses the cervical spine, crushing the neck backwards. This harmful posture tenses the shoulders and triggers serious discomfort over time.
The ideal viewing angle gazes straight ahead, then dips 20 degrees downwards. Position the laptop at eye level for this natural positioning. A portable stand like our K1 easily lifts the screen to proper height.
This simple adjustment relieves neck craning and risky hunching.
"If your screen were too high, then you'd end up looking up like this and giving yourself a really bad neck and shoulders over the course of the day."
Laptop stands like Nexstand lift your screen for optimal viewing.
"You need to have a laptop stand, a keyboard, and a mouse."
Many basic stands just tilt up a low screen at an awkward angle. But Nexstand brings screens up to eye level, preventing painful slouching and neck strain.
Get your 10% off here when you order any of our laptop stands!
Nexstand's adjustable height lets you customise positioning. Set it so your eyes look straight ahead at the screen, not down. This aligns the neck and shoulders, avoiding hunching.
"When you've got a nice stand here, what it means is the height of the screen here wants to be about eye height."
Don't forget the external keyboard and mouse as well. No more suboptimal postures from typing on the angled laptop.
Make sure your workstation and equipment accommodates healthy head positioning. Our eyes prefer gazing straightforwardly, not angling up or down.
3. Take Lots of Micro-Movement Breaks
Recharge with Micro-Movements.
Sitting static for hours cripples productivity and strains the body. Set a timer for 30-45 minutes, then rise and move. Even micro-movements disrupt stillness and rejuvenate.
Try simple neck stretches, shoulder rolls, or wrist circles.
"Notice that none of those require you to go to the gym or buy any expensive equipment."
For spreadsheet fatigue, stretch hands gently forward, feeling the wrists extend. Rotate palms down and repeat. Or trace big, loose circles with wrists to reactivate tired nerves.
Ritualize transitions between work and rest to make it more fun. Begin your day flourishing arms dramatically onto the keyboard, like starting a symphony. End your day with equal fanfare, announcing “workers completus!” Then fully disconnect.
Don't suffer "chair presenteeism" on video calls either. Stand, stretch discreetly off-camera, and move.
"Your bosses don't care that you're stood up and stretching. They're probably happy."
Micro-movements keep energy, focus and comfort high. Infuse your workday with regular mini breaks. Transition smoothly between industrious focus and rejuvenating motion. Listen to your body and respond accordingly.
4. Be the Centre of Your Universe
Rinse, repeat.
Customising your workspace to you optimises comfort and functioning. As James advises, "Make it fit to you. Make it fit."
Assess your unique needs rather than adapting to whatever is on hand. Even minor tweaks prevent pain, repetitive stress injuries, eyestrain, and mental fatigue over time. Prioritising ergonomics boosts health and productivity.
"You're not going to be as productive and you're not going to be as effective" without proper posture and positioning.
You are in charge of you. Don't let work dominate your needs.
"If you negate that and say, well, actually work's more important than me, then you're doing yourself a disservice."
James proves that small adjustments create enormous impact. An ergonomic chair, elevated laptop screen, micro-breaks, and a mindset shift empower you to work pain-free.
Don't accept discomfort as the price of productivity. Optimise your office setup, habits and mindfulness. And as we said above, become the centre of your universe!