5 Great Ways To Become More Ergonomic for FREE!

Going ergo is a great way to improve office productivity and functionality. That being said, if you're up against a tight budget, going ergo might not seem doable. Luckily for you, we've got 5 great ways to improve your personal ergonomic qualities for free. From making a simple foot rest to improving workplace versatility, the tips and tricks in today's post are sure to kick your office performance up a notch!

1.) Make A Foot Rest

Kicking your feet up while working is a great way to improve ergonomics. A foot rest will improve blood flow and take the pressure of your knees while computing at your desk. While a high end adjustable foot rest from a brand like Symmetry Office may be preferred, making your own foot rest is an excellent option if funds are tight. A simple stack of books or boxes will do the trick. If you want to get a bit more fancy, you can even create an adjustable foot hammock with some string and a pillow case! We've provided an image above for reference.

2.) Raise Your Monitor

If you're still using the factory stand that came with your computer screen, the odds are that you're looking down when you type at your desk. This bad habit can cause neck stiffness and even pain that will result in a drop in productivity. While articulating arms that accommodate multiple screens are a great way to tackle this common problem, they cost several hundred dollars. Try using a stack of magazines, piece of wood, or shoe box to raise your monitor up to eye level for free. It may not be the most attractive, but it will certainly be effective! You'll be operating more comfortably in no time at all.

3.) Form Good Posture Habits

A disheartening number of office employees actively practice poor posture habits on a daily basis without even knowing it. As studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can actually shorten your life space, sitting correctly is an absolute must. To form better posture habits, post reminders around your office that can be easily seen when sitting at your desk. Here's a few good tips to remember...

• Avoid Slouching
• Keep Your Feet Flat On The Floor At All Times
• Don't Cross Legs While Computing
• Keep Your Back In Contact With The Chair At All Times

4.) Master Your Office Chair

As office comfort starts with the chair, it's important to master the features and functionality your personal chair has to offer. Even the best office chairs are ineffective if users don't learn to operate them properly! If you're currently stuck with a passed down chair that you have no knowledge of, don't fret! Look underneath your chair seat and locate a part number or the name of the manufacturer. Browse the web for your chair. You'll be surprised what you find! Awesome office chair reviews, demo videos, and instruction manuals are widely available to help you kick workplace ergonomics into high gear.

5.) Get Versatile

Any ergonomic specialist will tell you that versatility plays a key role in productivity, functionality, and overall effectiveness. That being said, there are plenty of great ways to become more versatile without spending a single dollar. Start by organizing your space. Clear your desk of clutter and give your station a thorough cleaning. You can also reorganize your files and personal documents to ensure everything is where it needs to be, when you need it! Place your most commonly used office items within arms reach to avoid over exerting yourself. Once every hour, take the time to stand up a stretch. This will reduce fatigue while helping you avoid muscle stiffness that can cause a drop in productivity. Lastly, you can create a detailed plan for your work week. List out personal goals and tasks you hope to accomplish. Work with your team on additional ways to become more ergonomic and versatile each week. The odds are, they are hoping to accomplish the same goals as you!

Office Design: Creating Collaborative Workspaces

Whether you work in a skyscraper, in the field, or even in a small local shop on a street corner, businesses everywhere thrive on collaboration. Teamwork is one of the most valuable commodities of the modern era, and individuals capable of working in a team are some of the most hotly sought after recruits in the corporate world. However, designing your office to accomodate collaboration for a wide variety of individuals can pose a huge challenge. That's why we're sharing some dynamic design tips to help you create a better collaborative workspace. Enjoy!

Open Windows

According to recent interior design practices, the days of worker-bees hovering around an onslaught of honeycomb-like cubicles are long gone. Unless everyone in your workplace focuses on independent projects, cubicle armies with walls barring employees from easy communication are probably not the most conducive to collaboration. Many business owners are finding that an "open office" format is much healthier for teamwork. Trading traditional office cubicles in for high tech workstations or long open office tables make much better alternatives for the collaborative workspace. Not only can employees communicate more freely, but powering up is far less costly for a long table than it is for a train of energy consumptive box cubicles. This is one case in which less power means more money!

Closing Doors

While open offices are definitely popular, not everyone works best in a room filled with loud communication. Different employees will have different needs. Instead of giving each person their own cubicle, however, many business owners are finding it simpler to offer their employees different "work zones." Each zone is a different environment. Some rooms allow talking and teamwork; others are quiet work rooms requiring silence or minimal speech to reduce distraction. This way, employees can alternate rooms based on their needs. When the need for teamwork arises, they can head for the conference room equipped office presentation materials to share ideas. After, they can go to a seminar in the training room. When it's time to work alone, quiet rooms filled with personal desks or couches provide a quiet, comfortable place to get things done.

Virtual Space

In open offices, personal space can be hard to come by - and it's also one thing many employees miss the most about having a personal cubicle. However, you don't have to resort to forcing employees to live in a box. These days, information protection is one of the most valuable. Making sure every employee has a personal laptop or computer helps to ensure everyone gets their own virtual space. Adding individual lockers or cubbies can also help employees feel they have security in an open office. Headphones and soundproof walls help to reduce noise pollution for the employees trying to concentrate on something personal. In fact, many offices have made use of movable wall screens (inspired by Asian shoji screens) to divide space without spending money to put in a wall.

* Bonus Tip: Keeping everyone powered in an open office is a challenge, especially if everyone moves around. Adding power stations, like the Symmetry Isle power tower, is a great way to make sure everyone stays fully charged. It's both efficient and cost effective!

Office Code

All too often, business owners experimenting with the open office climate find their employees are annoyed, distracted, or even a little too communicative. Outlining a set of rules, or "code of conduct," can help everyone work efficiently when together, and when apart. Headphones are one of the most popular ways of saying, "do not disturb" in the office. Meetings held behind closed doors often mean "authorized personel only," as in, "if you didn't get invited, stay out." Alternatively, meetings held on training tables out in the open usually mean that anyone can participate. Make the rules clear by emailing or posting them around the office. 

Bring Employees Together

Sometimes, uniting employees in more than just their work is an excellent way to increase the corporate bond. Don't be afraid to organize company events such as potlucks, reward ceremonies, office challenges, fun classes, and games. Make some of the events family friendly to increase the likelihood of employees finding commonalities that may help them work together better. In addition, make sure to provide plenty of recharge time. Allowing employees a little extra time to let loose with a simple basketball game can help release pent up energy, keep employees focused, and help them bond. More than likely, the bond will carry over when it's time to buckle down at the desks!

* Bonus Tip: In many Asian countries, businesses have set times for stretch breaks and exercise, in which everyone in the room can take a break from the desks and cubicles in order to improve health and focus.  

Modern Interiors: Mayline Napoli Series Executive Office

Looking for modern appeal? How about a little wow factor to go with it? No problem! The Napoli executive office we're highlighting in today's post does it all. This high end workspace combines form and function to create an out of this world workspace that's ready to get down to business. Lets take a look!

At first glance you'll notice the perfect blend of modern and traditional characteristics. While the Napoli furniture line is classified as modern, it still boasts the luxurious wood veneer construction needed to impress even the harshest critics with a love for the classic look.

This top of the line workspace features a U shaped desk layout that's composed of a 63" wide front desk with additional corner extension. The silver post leg and modesty panel make for a swanky look that's guaranteed to earn this space the compliments it deserves. In addition, the return and matching 63" credenza provide additional work surface space that's sure to come in handy.

As no professional workspace can function effectively without the right combination of storage components for organization, this Napoli layout from Mayline was designed with an overhead hutch unit, low wall cabinet, and two shelf corner bookcases. Both the hutch and low wall cabinet feature upscale glass doors that work great for displaying achievements and awards. An under mount task light is also situated underneath the storage hutch to save on the hefty electrical bills associated with the draining overhead office lights commonly used today.

The Napoli office furniture used in this interior features a rich sierra cherry finish. The North American hardwood veneer construction is very high quality. The attention to detail can be seen and appreciated from every angle.

To round out the space, laminate flooring, wall treatments, and rectangular window cutouts were added for visual appeal and aesthetic value. The Silver lamp pictured in the corner matches the silver modesty panel and post leg desk to perfection. Additional wall art and room accents can be seen in various areas of this workspace to avoid bare areas. Rest assured, this office space has it all!

Office Chair Reviews: Eurotech Seating Lume Chair

The Eurotech Seating Lume chair is a new addition to 2015. These cool new mesh back office chairs offer high end appeal and the ergonomic features to match. In today's post, we'll take an in-depth look at the Lume chair and it's benefits. Enjoy!

Style

At first glance you'll notice the modern design characteristics of the Lume chair. Eurotech has created a versatile new office chair that's stands apart in a category dominated by mesh back chairs with incredibly similar features. The Lume's unique curves and checkerboard back pattern are sure to earn any office interior the compliments it deserves. These chairs are ready to get down to business, and look good while doing it!

Ergonomics

The Lume chair comes standard with a wide range of ergonomic attributes designed to keep users operating comfortably and effectively in the workplace. The chair's mechanism is outfitted with tilt tension control, tilt lock, and synro tilt adjustment features that allow users to control the angle at which they work and the resistance at which their Lume chair leans back. In addition, the Lume offers an adjustable height seat with waterfall edge, as well as multi functional arms. Finding comfort in the workplace just got easy!

Applications

Eurotech Lume chairs work well in a variety of office applications. These mesh back task chairs offer the adjustment features needed to get through those long days at the office, without the headaches and frustrations commonly accompanied by lesser quality chairs. The Lume can be used effectively as a computer chair in both home and private office applications. The Lume would surely improve the versatility of any office receptionist and we're sure they'd be happy for the upgrade. Lume chairs could also work nicely in educational facilities, as well as professional meeting areas. Rest assured, there's not much these new chairs from Eurotech can't do.

Price

The Lume chair is available for sale in 2015 for just $279.00. At this price point, Eurotech has made it obvious that you don't have to spend thousands to purchase a high quality ergonomic chair to meet your specific workplace needs. The Lume is really a great buy. You'll be hard pressed to find a better chair on the market for the money!

Final Thoughts

We give the Lume chair 3.5 stars out of 5. We'd like to see a polished base option to up the appeal a notch, as well as some different mesh colors to let users showcase their individual style. That being said, the Lume is very comfortable, very user friendly, and very affordable. As this is a new chair in the Eurotech lineup, we expect upgrades and additions to the Lume collection to take it over the top.

Sit Less to Achieve More!

It's no secret that office chairs are earning a bad rap - not because of poor design, but because of overuse. Like all good things, overuse of office chairs can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle, and with all the rising health knowledge, most experts agree that sitting really is "the new smoking." But thankfully, there is a way to avoid the health risks without sacrificing your work ethic. And the solution may be a lot simpler than you think! In today's article, we explore all the benefits (and potential drawbacks) of standing in the workplace - enjoy!

Why Stand?

The phrase "sitting is the new smoking" was coined for a reason. According to WebMD, researchers have discovered links between sedentary lifestyles and poorer mental health, heart disease, and obesity. Cancer, disability, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even premature death are just a few of the other health concerns linked with chronic sitting. On the other hand, the human body was designed almost perfectly for standing up. Even the very act of standing encourages the spine to keep and maintain its ideal S-shape, toning the abdominal muscles, and strengthening the legs to combat many of the most common office related ailments. In fact, most standing office workers report improved focus, better physical health, and reduced pain. Talk about standing up for your health!

The Standing Solution

Perhaps the most obvious problem associated with sitting is what to do about work! Anyone perched in front of a two-and-a-half foot tall desk all day would wonder how to type without breaking their back. Thankfully, office furniture manufacturers have developed a solution. Sit-to-stand office desks have become one of the hottest trends of the working world. Not only can employees stand and sit with them, but the ability to transition between both positions allows new standers to acclimate to a vertical lifestyle at a pace that's comfortable for individuals. While permanently elevated desks require users to stand all the time, desks that can be raised also allow much needed sitting breaks for anyone working more than a few hours at a time.

Learning to Stand

For most, the act of standing isn't so hard. The act of standing for hours on end on the other hand definitely is. The best way to learn to stand though, is to accessorize! Simple tools like cushioned foot mats, back braces, and compression socks to encourage vertical blood flow through the legs all help to reduce the pain of transition. Standing office workers who've truly mastered the art often take the time to work out their core. Because the abdominal muscles are the spine's main support structure, in addition to the back, toning one's abs goes a long way towards improving posture. In the end, a toned stomach is always a benefit, not just for standers, but for sitters - and beachgoers too!

The Scares

So you may have heard some of the newer "scares" associated with a standing work style. Employees complaining of sore feet, tremendous leg pain, and even low back pain are not unheard of in the standing office world; that's why knowing about balance is so important. Just as too much sitting is poor for one's health, so is too much standing. For anyone standing in one place for more than 3 hours at a time, seated breaks are highly advised. A quick 20-30 minute sitting session can help take some of the stress off one's legs. Adding adjustable keyboard trays to office workstations can help users transition between the standing sessions and break periods without sacrificing productive time.

What if Sitting Isn't An Option?

Unfortunately, too many offices still have restrictions on standing desks and standing employees. However, there are still many ways to retain your health despite working a sedentary desk job. The chief way: To not stay sedentary! Employees who take every opportunity to walk around the office, take the stairs, jog on lunch breaks, and eat healthy, on and off the clock, can greatly improve their chances against "sitting disease." Purchasing chairs with ergonomic adjustment features can help encourage the body to keep good posture, which incidentally is one of the most important aspects of discouraging sitting disease. In addition, the internet is filled with plenty of seated stretches and exercises designed especially for office workers without the standing option. Check them out, and see if you can't stay healthy!

Bargain Shopping: Modern Office Furniture at Modest Pricing

Designing a new office space? Love modern furniture and a good deal? You're in the right place! In today's post we'll be highlighting best selling modern office furniture collections for sale in 2015. These budget friendly lines offer high end appeal that's simply too good to pass up. As the modern furniture craze is in full swing, these bargains are a must consider for any professional makeover project.

First up, the Cherryman Industries Amber collection. Wether you're outfitting a private office space, a new conference room, or reception area, this affordable line from Cherryman is ready to help. The Amber collection offers conference room tables starting for as low as $315.00 with free shipping. The attractive reception desks from the Amber line start at just $399.00. Rest assured, Amber furniture gives you a lot for the money! Choose from 5 quick shipping laminate finish options and a wide range of storage components to round out your interiors.

With more than 10 best selling office furniture collections on the Market, Mayline is a favorite of interior design teams and industry professionals alike. With lines like Brighton, outfitting the key areas of your business just got easy. Mayline offers pre configured Brighton series desk configurations, conference room layouts, and reception furniture packages in two finish options. These quick shipping furniture solutions are great for businesses up against a tight makeover deadline. Brighton products are very well made, very attractive, and sure to earn your interiors the compliments they deserve.

Mayline's new Medina furniture collection has taken the office furniture world by storm. Inspired by the classic Napoli line, Medina offers the same great style influences at a more consumer friendly price point. Medina desks, conference tables, and reception stations combine modern and traditional characteristics to form a well rounded collection that's atop the popularity charts in 2015. Shoppers will love the mahogany and mocha finish options, but the trendy gray steel is a must see! If you're looking to set your space apart from the competition, without breaking the budget, go with Medina for your project!

The Offices To Go brand is highly regarded for their cool ergonomic office chairs. That being said, this top manufacturer deserves some credit for their awesome office furniture solutions! With the Superior Laminate Collection, Offices To Go has managed to create a full service line of workstations, tables, and professional organizing solutions that everyone can afford. This trusted line offers the quality craftsmanship and attention to detail we've come to expect from Offices To Go, at an impressive price point that's far lower than the industry standard.

Multi user workstations and open desking layouts can get quite expensive. With all the advanced power upgrades and aesthetic enhancements available, it's easy to rack up a hefty makeover bill. While all of the industry players are looking for new ways to compete effectively in this major furniture market, Global Total Office has set the bar. With lines like Zira, creating custom layouts just got easy. Zira offers an extensive lineup of components designed to improve functionality, performance, and appeal. Just this year, Zira was further bolstered with innovative conference room tables and reception desks that are ready to take your surrounding office interiors to the next level. While Zira is by no means cheap, if you're looking for a truly top quality office furniture line that won't let you down, this is the only way to go. Zira is far more affordable than most of the competitive lines on the market, and makes the makeover project a breeze. Choose from dozens of unique finish options, handle pulls, and edge details at no additional charge! Zira's trend setting modular features, attention to detail, and interchangeable components will have your interiors looking top notch in a short 3 to 4 week manufacturing time.

What's New? Modern Computer Desks From Flash Furniture!

If you're looking to create a modern home office space or dorm room, you'll love the all new modern computer desks from Flash Furniture! These personal workstations offer high end appeal at a budget friendly price point that's sure to be appreciated by any shopper. In today's post we'll showcase 5 of Flash Furniture's newest desks. Enjoy!

First up, this NAN-WK-021-MAH-GG model glass computer desk with three drawer pedestal and powder coated frame. Priced at just $207.99, you really can't beat these small computer desks from Flash! The attention to detail can be easily see in the silver handle pulls, while the locking pedestal is ready to keep your important documents safe and well organized.


Next up, the NAN-WK-008-GG. This mahogany computer desk offers the perfect blend of modern and traditional style characteristics. The integrated desk pedestal features 3 drawers and an open storage slot. The legs feature unique circular cutouts designed to enhance appeal. A retractable keyboard tray is also included to increase usable work surface space. In a package priced at just $169.99, this desk offers a lot to like for a minimal investment.


How about a modern computer desk outfitted with a retractable keyboard platform and a CPU holder for just $159.99? We thought you'd like this one! NAN-WK-059-GG computer desk features a blend of black glass and metal tones to create a super cool modern desk that's sure to impress. With all the awesome features typically expected in desks three times the price, the NAN-WK-059-GG is truly an excellent buy.


The NAN-WK-025-GG has become an instant consumer favorite. These wood laminate and glass computer desks have been selling like hot cakes in 2015. As the retro industrial furniture movement gains momentum, trending desks like this NAN-WK-025-GG are poised for success. With heavy duty powder coated steel legs and cherry accents, this desk is perfect for the home office or modern dorm room. For just $139.99, the NAN-WK-025-GG desk can be yours. Did we mention that this Flash Furniture desk also includes a mobile CPU cart? What a bargain!


Last but certainly not least, the NAN-WK-109-GG was a must include for today's post. As one of Flash's coolest new desks, this personal station boasts a swanky looks that's far less pricey than it's $135.99 price tag would indicate! If you've gotta little extra square footage, this L shaped corner desk is perfect for you. With it's teakwood finished laminate top and black metal frame, the NAN-WK-025-GG offers quality construction and a unique look that's sure to help you showcase your individual work style. The retractable keyboard tray provides a handy ergonomic tool that can be mounted on the 31.5" or the 43.25" desk sections. A 33.25" corner extension is also included to create a total operating width of 87". If you're not familiar with office furniture, that's a lot of space for less than a hundred and fifty bucks!