How to find a perfect desk size

Since it is true that modern men and women spend countless hours behind their desks, sitting nearly motionless in their chairs, it is safe to assume that every single aspect concerning their office desk affects them greatly. Apart from the office related work, because we live in an era of computers, internet and social networks, it is also as safe to assume that our desk dominates largest portion of our everyday, even when we take our free time in consideration.

This is why it is important to turn this situation to our advantage, and transform our computer from our enemy to our greatest ally.

One of the most important things concerning physical properties of this work environment is the desk size as well as the height of the chair. While many people pay little or no attention to this and suppose automatically that all of this is just an aesthetic category, this cannot be further from the truth.

Our entire sitting stance, stance in which we spend most of our time is directly conditioned b your desk proportions.

Optimize your work environment

For a man or woman, that takes their job seriously, it is crucial to take every chance to gain a competitive edge. Some of the most prominent modern psychoanalysts claim that our everyday environment affects everything we do in a positive or negative way.

Therefore, in order to improve his or hers productiveness, one must first improve their workstation. This must be done in the accordance to the office ergonomics and here, there are no details so small that they can be counted out as insignificant.

The desk height

While it is true that most desks are of the pretty much the same height, with the variation of only couple of inches these couple of inches can sometimes represent the crucial difference. While it is true that a couple of inches do not seem as such a big of a deal, when taken into consideration that it requires you to hold your hands a couple of inches higher or lower, or stare at the screen with a couple of inches worse perspective, day after day for a countless amount of hours, this can create a serious problem.

When holding your hands on the desk, your elbows should always be on a 90 degree angle and your upper arms should be next to your body. By the opinion of most medical experts, this is the perfect way for you to hold your hands even if you don’t have a regular office desk but a standing one.

Regarding your desk monitor, you should create three imaginary lines on the screen- one vertical and two horizontal. The vertical line should go right through the middle of the screen, dividing it into two equal parts- the left one and the right one.

Horizontal lines should separate screen in the three equally big parts- the upper one, the middle one and the bottom one. Your eyes should always directly look at the spot where the vertical and the upper horizontal lines intersect.

By following just these two simple rules, you will be well on your way to pick a desk that is of the perfect size for your needs.

Chair height adjustment

Stand in front of your office chair facing it. The height of your seat should be just above the line of your knees. Also, if you usually use a cushion on your office chair, make sure to insert it into the equation. After you have properly adjusted your chair, your work of optimizing your workspace height is officially done.

While it may seem as a lot of work by some, adjusting your workspace properly the first time, will save you a lot of effort in the future, both professionally and health related.

With just a bit of will and research, you will be able to optimize your surrounding and transform it into your greatest ally. Truly something that real professional, regardless of his or her line of work can never afford to overlook.

Infographic by Noelle Campbell for The Huffington Post.