It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye: millions of office workers in Australia transitioned to working from home. And almost as quickly, workers began to experience an increase in headaches and neck pain. By following the three simple steps below, you can improve your work-from-home setup and decrease the frequency of your headaches and neck pain.

1. Reduce your screen time

An increase in video conferences and email communication has resulted in a significant rise in screen time. For some, staring at a computer screen increases the amount and frequency of their headaches, neck tension and pain. A simple solution is to reduce the amount of time you spend staring at your screen by periodically raising your eyes and focusing on an object in the distance.

2. Check your posture

Many of us were forced to quickly adapt to working from home, meaning we didn't have the time to set up an adequate space with the right desks and chairs. One way to promote good posture and alleviate neck pain is to invest in an ergonomic office chair and a sit-stand desk. Also, make sure the top of your screen is level with your eyes and your keyboard is situated at arm's length.

3. Exercise

Working from home may be more convenient compared to tackling the weekday commute, but it has also resulted in a reduction in the amount of incidental exercise we get. To counteract this, make sure you stand up, stretch and take a short walk around the house regularly. Try to replace the time you usually spend on the daily commute with a short yoga or Pilates session. This can be useful as you prepare for or wind down from your workday, but it is also useful for relieving neck tension and preventing headaches.

And finally, it is essential that you keep your body hydrated, so make sure you are still drinking plenty of water.

For more advice on how to reduce headaches and neck pain while working from home, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Melville Wellness.