When we were teens we imagined spending our weekend in bed, at least until Mum had her way. COVID has seen many of us working from home, at least for a while. The Instagram #WorkFromBed hashtag conjures up thousands of smiling people snuggled up with laptops. However, there are also unintended consequences of working in bed that we wanted to share.
Your Neck, Back, Hips and More Are All Strained
‘None of this is optional’, Susan Hallbeck, director of health-care-system engineering at Mayo Clinic explained to BBC. ‘You’re really not supported in a way that’s conducive to work.’ We were un-surprised when she added young people are particularly likely ‘to fall victim to these bad habits’.
But Susan says the pain will only flare up later for young people who fall into the trap. They could suffer permanently stiff backs in older age. And even pain in the bones, ligaments and muscles in their necks that allow motion. Older folk may experience the unintended consequences of working in bed the next morning, as they awake.
Countering the Unintended Consequences of Working in Bed
There’s a body of psychology that suggests we program ourselves to respond to stimuli. We knuckle down at our desks when we arrive at the office in the morning, because they elicit that response. Well at least that’s the theory!
Our beds, on the other hand suggest we doze off to sleep, and enjoy our well-earned rest. It follows we are unlikely to be at our most productive when we work in bed.
We should rather set up an ergonomically healthy work station at home, where we do our work and little else. We should become more productive as that elicited response strengthens. And we should less be less likely to wake in the morning with pain in our backs, if we invest in a decent chair.
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Preview Image: Sleeping Positions for Back Pain
