
Ask HN: How to work remotely ergonomically? - arisAlexis
So I quit my job and started working while travelling. I change place every month so setting up a whole office in every AirBnB  is not a  option.In my past office I used to have a nice ergonomic desk with lifted screen and a good chair.<p>Now I work with my laptop. Since I started doing it some months I have back and neck pain and tingling hands. I do exercise but doesn&#x27;t help much.<p>Please share any tips?
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aregsarkissian
For every 45 minutes of sitting get up and walk around for 15 minutes. While
walking keep thinking about what you were working on to stay in the zone. For
every 3 to 4 hours of working take a two hour break and do active things. Also
try to avoid using a mouse and go keyboard only. Wherever you sit, roll a
towel and put it behind your lower back for support

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cimmanom
Keyboard vs. screen height is crucial, and laptops have terrible ergonomics
for extended periods. Get an external keyboard and mouse and a TALL laptop
riser so you can look straight ahead at your screen but type with elbows at a
right angle at your sides.

To sit on, consider a yoga ball? You can deflate it to transport between
locations and adjust the height at each location to match the desk height by
changing how much you inflate it.

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trcollinson
It's really all about posture. The fancy desks and chairs and screens and
lifts are all there to help you to have good posture and positioning but it's
absolutely possible with just about anything.

Make sure you use a chair that helps you to sit up. I tend to lay back on a
couch or a bed and that messes with your spine. A high back hard chair works
great. If the Air BnB you stay in doesn't have one, you can pick one up at a
local thrift shop and then donate it again when you're done.

A table. Again, a laptop fits so nicely on a lap but this puts you in the
wrong position. Get a table. If it's not at the right ergonomic height, put
blocks under the feet.

Place your laptop on a set of books or boxes to the screen is at the right
ergonomic height. This will help a ton!

Get an external keyboard and mouse. I would travel with these and carry them
with you.

~~~
konradb
> Get a table. If it's not at the right ergonomic height, put blocks under the
> feet.

One frustrating thing I find when away from home is every table is about three
inches too high.

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amirathi
Laptop stand [1] with good keyboard and Apple magic mouse has been great for
me. I don't know if you would be able to carry that stand in your travels, I
would try to find something foldable.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-DSN-01750-SL-Laptop-
Stan...](https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-DSN-01750-SL-Laptop-Stand-
Silver/dp/B00WRDS0AU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1528176690&sr=8-9&keywords=laptop+elevator+stand)

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dageshi
Top tips from someone who's been in your situations.

Regular wooden chairs can be surprisingly comfortable if you take a pillow
from your bed and use it as a back rest.

Screen height is all important, get something like this

[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Ventilated-Adjustable-
Func...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Ventilated-Adjustable-Function-
Universal/dp/B0756B4HVP/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527890304&sr=8-3&keywords=portable+laptop+stand)

and get a bluetooth keyboard & mouse to go with it

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closed
I really don't lugging around cords and gear, so when moving about, I use a
USB powered monitor. Just set it on a tall enough box, use your laptop as the
keyboard, and boom you've got yourself a work station.

[https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=usb-
powered+porta...](https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=usb-
powered+portable+monitor)

~~~
arisAlexis
nice idea. is there a laptpp that detaches the screen so you can do the same I
wonder

~~~
kangaroodingo
Microsoft surface and even some Lenovo laptops have screen that can be
detached

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jillesvangurp
I tend to not use desks at home and have my laptop on my lap. I can use a
couch, chair, or bean bag on my balcony. Key is to not put strain on your
shoulders or neck and move around during the day. For me, using a normal desk
for extended times actually feels uncomfortable. Having to lift my arms and
elbows to reach a keyboard feels wrong.

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keiferski
Get yourself a stand (I use and recommend the Roost) and an external keyboard
plus mouse. All three are extremely portable.

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jackgolding
This is something i'm thinking of when looking at a new laptop - working off a
laptop screen at desk height kills my back but elevating it makes the keyboard
unusable... so I wonder if the surface is useful here?

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inertiatic
Another sort of tip: do some strength training.

My experience is that I don't experience any discomfort despite having at
times horrible working habits (working on a laptop on a sofa for 10 hours a
day for example). I attribute that to being reasonably fit for a 30+ yo
person.

~~~
jackgolding
This is very underrated. Even as an obese office worker, doing 30 minutes of
back exercises a week makes work sooo much better.

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jamesakirk
You can use an ironing board as a standing desk. It is useful for hotels!

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chrisfinne
Buy a proper setup, keep the boxes and re-ship to every destination. The
purchase costs and the shipping costs would be a legit business expense.

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colund
Buy a chair, a desk you can raise, a good sharp display with usb-c connection
and a usb hub, a nice low profile keyboard and a nice computer mouse.

~~~
arisAlexis
you mean to travel with a chair or buy a chair and desk in every place i visir
every three weeks :)

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corsivo
After doing something similar for about two years, really the only thing that
seems to work is co-working and office rental options. Airbnbs just aren't set
up to be worked out of. Most of the places that tag themselves as including an
office / laptop station in actuality don't. I had the best luck with airbnbs
that were actual homes people rented out, those sometimes included a nice work
space. No company or person doing the vacation rental thing cares about that
amenity.

Tried shipping things, with customs taking so long in some countries it didn't
work out at all.

It seemed most feasible to create an ergonomic standup work space, then you
just need an external keyboard and mouse and something to stand your laptop
on.

