Step-by-step guides for building an ergonomic workstation that prevents injury. From desk height to monitor placement, get the setup right.
⭐ Featured
The complete workstation configuration guide — chair, desk, monitor, keyboard, and mouse positioning based on your height and body proportions.
🩺 From Your PT
What a physical therapist actually wants you to know about your desk setup — the clinical perspective on posture, alignment, and injury prevention.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
The most common setup errors — monitor too low, chair not adjusted, keyboard at wrong height — and exactly how to fix each one to eliminate neck and back pain.
🖥️🖥️ Dual Monitors
How to position two monitors without causing neck rotation pain — horizontal vs. stacked, primary monitor centering, and correct viewing angles.
📐 Standing Desks
Standing desk height, monitor position, anti-fatigue mat placement, and the sit/stand ratio that actually reduces discomfort over the workday.
🪑 Back Pain
Back pain from sitting all day is caused by lumbar disc compression, hip flexor shortening, and core deactivation. Here's how to fix it with better setup and movement habits.
👁️ Eye Strain
Digital eye strain from computer screens — causes, relief strategies, monitor distance, refresh rate, and the 20-20-20 rule explained properly.
✋ Wrist Pain
Wrist pain from desk work is almost always caused by sustained non-neutral wrist positions during typing or mouse use. Here's how to identify the cause and fix it.
Always start with chair height — feet flat on the floor, knees at approximately 90°. Once chair height is correct, set desk height to put your elbows at 90° while typing. Then position your monitor at the correct height and distance. Finally adjust keyboard and mouse placement. Getting the foundation (chair → desk → monitor) right first makes every other adjustment easier.
The top of your monitor should be at or very slightly below eye level when sitting in an upright, neutral position. Your eyes should naturally land in the upper third of the screen. If you're constantly looking down, your monitor is too low — the most common setup error. Use a monitor arm or a laptop stand + external display for correct height without improvised stacking.
20–28 inches (50–70 cm) for most monitors, depending on screen size. Larger screens can be slightly farther away. A practical test: if you can read comfortably without leaning forward, the distance is acceptable. Increase font size before moving the monitor closer — squinting at small text at the wrong distance is a common cause of both eye strain and neck flexion.
Both extended sitting and extended standing are problematic. Current research supports alternating between positions — roughly 30 minutes sitting, 15–20 minutes standing. The benefit of a sit-stand desk is the ability to change posture frequently, not standing itself. An anti-fatigue mat is essential if you plan to stand for any meaningful duration on a hard floor.