Whether you're at a kitchen counter or a TV tray at the couch, your work surface should support the tools you need to do your job and bring them to your body. You shouldn't need to bend or reach your body to your work surface for an extended period of time, as this can contribute to muscle fatigue and even discomfort, like headaches.


Having a dedicated workspace in your home can help create boundaries between your work-at-home life and your home life. As you select your working space, keep these things in mind.


Having a dedicated workspace in your home can help create boundaries between your work-at-home life and your home life. But if you don't have such a space, you can still create an area to be productive.


Meet with your housemates to talk about everyone's calendars. Be sure to note any errands, home responsibilities, video-conference calls, and working blocks so that your household knows what to expect and how to help each other.


Have a standing weekly appointment with yourself to plan the week ahead. Be sure to note any errands, home responsibilities, video-conference calls, and working blocks.


Watching, homeschooling, and taking care of your kids while also working is just tough—no way around it. Work with everyone in the house to give your kids as much of a schedule as possible so that you can get a little work done. But mostly: don't be too hard on yourself. 


Your work surface should support the tools you need to do your job and bring them to your body. You shouldn't need to bend or reach your body to your work surface for an extended period of time, as this can contribute to muscle fatigue and even discomfort, like headaches.


Surrounding yourself with plants—real or faux—can decrease stress and increase your productivity and creativity. Real plants also provide the best air filtration money can buy. Bonus: watering your plant babies is an excellent way to get in some movement throughout the day.	


Having a height-adjustable desk allows you to change up your body's position and get in some movement throughout the day. But be careful not to stand for too long, as this can lead to an uncomfortable compression of your spine.


Your work chair should help you support your body throughout the day as you switch amongst various postures.


Your work chair should help you support your body throughout the day as you switch amongst various postures. If you have an adjustable chair, you'll be able to more finely tune it to your body's center of gravity, thereby lowering the strain on your muscles throughout the day.


Your daily hormones are highly sensitive to light, and built to follow the natural rhythm of a day. Bright light coincides with higher productivity and lower light coincides with time to rest. If you can, get near some natural light as you work.


The kinds and amount of auditory stimulation you experience as you work can impact your ability to focus, collaborate, and rest. Be mindful of the types and amount of auditory stimulation in your work environment, and take steps to build the perfect soundscape for you.


When your whole household works from home, your Wi-Fi  bandwidth may be strained. Be sure to check your Wi-Fi speeds, and determine whether you need to beef it up.


There's no one way to sit, but if you pay attention to your body and a few guidelines, you'll begin to notice many benefits like lower fatigue at the end of the day and less discomfort and pain over time.


Headache and jaw pain are serious issues that can develop from a number of environmental causes.


Shoulder pain isn't just caused by the position of your shoulder.


Wrist and/or hand numbness is an indicator that your body is overcompensating in some way.


Low back pain could be caused by a variety of things, but you should start by checking your seating and work surface to make sure they are properly supporting your body to reduce strain to your lower back.


If you experience numbness in your feet or lower legs, you likely need to make a few adjustments to your chair and how you are sitting.	


Your noggin is like an 8-10 lb. bowling ball, held atop your torso by all of the muscles in your neck. If your monitor is too low or high, your muscles have to work extra hard to keep your head up. Try moving your device screen so that the top third of the screen is directly in front of your natural eyeline.


While having several screens can increase your productivity and digital work space, if you regularly twist your neck, you could experience discomfort and numbness in your feet and hands. It's important to pick a primary monitor and orient yourself toward it.


Your feet are the base of good posture, even when you are sitting. You can assume your most powerful posture when they're firmly connected to the ground. If you don't have a height-adjustable chair, or if it doesn't go low enough, consider placing something under your feet. A box, a cutting board, or a plastic bin can all be used to assume a more active posture.


When your wrists bend for your fingers to reach up or down to a keyboard or mouse, you can easily strain the complex ligaments and muscles that support your hand and wrist bones. Try to keep your forearms even with your hands so that your wrists aren't bent oddly.


Our bodies are built for movement, and whether you have the dreamiest working setup at home or you are currently taking calls in a closet, it is important that you build a practice of incorporating even small amounts of movement into your everyday routine.


Our devices emit blue light, which is similar to daylight. This is great for the first half of the day, but as the sun begins to set your body's natural circadian rhythms need a warmer light, similar to the sun setting. There are many great blue-light blocking options.


If you've had LASIK surgery, you may need to position your monitor even further away than the tips of your fingers when your arms are outstretched.


If you wear progressive lenses, you'll need to tilt your monitor so the top is further away from you than the bottom.


In general, you want to keep your tools as close to your body as possible to reduce reaching and straining.


Keep your mouse within easy reach to avoid straining your shoulder muscles.


Allowing yourself time for breaks is crucial because stress is one of the most damaging factors to your productivity and creativity. Go ahead and get those breaks on your calendar so that the next time you're tempted to work through lunch to meet a deadline, you give your brain the break it needs to work on that problem quicker and more creatively.


It is easy to get lost answering direct messages and emails, dampening your ability to focus on a longer, more complicated task. Proactively planning working time blocks on your calendar buys a slice of focus while also communicating to your peers when you'll be able to check their message.	


There are many apps that have been built to help folks focus and be productive. Try out a few!


Double check all of your standard work tools, including your phone, and customize your notification settings so that you are only interrupted at appropriate times.


Collaborating with teammates is much easier when you can pick up on their non-verbal cues. Whenever possible, try to use video conferencing for meetings.


Your whole team is learning how to work together when you aren't really together. It's hard. When you need help from someone, take a moment to ask yourself what that person might need to know in order to help you and include all information in your initial request.


Decide as a team whether you'll have a call or check-in with a messaging app. Then, at the beginning of the day meet up as a team to talk about what everyone is working on. Don't forget to ask how folks are doing and take care of each other!


Think of the first few hours of the day as your time to set yourself up to be productive, creative, and strategic. Whether that means exercise and breakfast or reading with your smoothie, pick the activities that you turn to when you need peace and motivation.


Add lunch to your calendar and don't schedule over it! Your brain needs nourishment to do its best work.


Decide when you want your work day to end each day, and turn off all work-related devices and notifications so that you can fully recharge. Consider picking a fun phrase to say at the end of the day that means "no more work!" The punnier, the better.


Include your laptop and any external monitors.

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