World Usability day 2022 – Our Health

The theme for World Usability Day this year is “Our Health” where we look to explore systems that provide healthcare in all its many forms such as virtual/telehealth, electronic health records, healthcare products and all digital health related solutions. In this relatively new world of hybrid working, we know how important it is to keep a focus on your health and wellbeing just as much as your productivity and working responsibilities.

So, to help improve your wellbeing and make life a little bit easier, here are our top tips for remaining focussed and productive when working at home:

• Get dressed each morning. You don’t have to wear your normal work attire, but you do need to change your mindset from relaxed pyjamas to alert business time.
• Stick to your usual working hours, sleep times and break times to provide structure to your day. Maintain a structured meal plan; with a proper breakfast, lunch, and dinner away from where you’ve been working.
• Ideally, you should have a dedicated office space with a door that can be closed to those you live with. If a designated office space is not possible, then try working in different parts of your home to break up the day and keep your mind focused.
• Use natural daylight, especially after lunch, to keep you alert and work-orientated when you’re feeling tired.
• Set yourself a ‘to-do’ list at the beginning of each day/week, to keep you motivated, with achievable deadlines to stop you procrastinating or getting side-tracked.
• Although it’s important to stay connected, leave yourself time between calls and virtual meetings, and turn off instant messengers to focus on your to-do list.
• Just as you do when you leave the office (hopefully), switch off your work emails and calls at a set time so that your personal time remains as such.
• Similarly, set boundaries with the people you live with (including your children) and put your phone on airplane mode to avoid getting distracted, particularly if you have a tight deadline or lots to do.
• Use sound-blocking earplugs, headphones or earmuffs to distance yourself from the familiar world around you and aid concentration.
• In contrast with the above, working from home gives you flexibility and sometimes it might be worth using this to your advantage; by changing your hours to suit personal requirements or to dial into overseas meetings.

The Ergonomics Companion mobile app

We have developed a revolutionary mobile app that provides guidance and support to individuals on how to set up their home working environment to ensure the correct posture and reduce the risk of muscular strain or injury.

The Ergonomics Companion app has been developed for iOS and Android devices and is fully customisable to meet your company’s specific DSE requirements and brand guidelines.

The app provides advice for working at home, in the office or when you’re out and about. As a taster of what the app can provide, here are some simple steps that you can take to help optimise your posture and improve your comfort when working at home:

	Step 1 Work at a desk or table with adequate knee/foot clearance so that you can sit/stand close to your laptop.
	Step 2 Use a separate keyboard and mouse with your laptop.
	Step 3 Position the keyboard and mouse directly in front of you within easy reach.
	Step 4 Position your laptop so that the top of the screen is level with your eye height.  If you don’t have a laptop riser, use a box file or some books to raise your laptop. Or plug in a separate monitor if you have one.
	Step 5 If sitting, use an adjustable chair if you have one. If not, use a rolled-up towel for extra lower back support. If your chair is too low, sit on a cushion to raise your seat height.
	Step 6 Maintain a good posture; if sitting, try to ensure that the small of your back is supported, your shoulders are relaxed (not slumped, not elevated), and that there is no unwelcome pressure on the back of your knees. If standing (e.g. at your kitchen worktop), keep your legs, torso, neck and head approximately in line and vertical – don’t slouch, lean or twist to the side.
	Step 7 Don’t sit or stand for too long – change your posture every few minutes and take regular micro-breaks away from your laptop.