How to Make Work Chairs Work for Your Overall Health, Wealth, and Emotional Well Being

Fifty years ago, in 1966, the typical American workplace was a much different place than it was today. In fact, overall life itself was much different! But in terms of the American workforce, a day on the job back then was the complete opposite of what a day on the job is like today, especially when it comes to another day at the office.

For starters, it was still common for the wife to stay at home and tend to the needs of the children (think nuclear family with 2.5 kids, a dog, white picket fence — you know, the whole shabangabang) and maintain the household while the husband went out and worked. And while work week mornings back then were most likely hectic for families just as they are today, no one was waking up and checking their notifications on their smart phones, soothing toddler temper tantrums with games on a mobile device, or checking their email before heading into the office.

Technology has completely revolutionized the look, feel, and function of American offices. For example, if you work in an office today, just think of how difficult — if not impossible — it would be for you to get your work done without the assistance of a computer. Yikes! Whether it’s for communication purposes, payroll, data entry, record keeping, billing, document creation, and much, much more, today’s modern offices rely on computer technology to do just about everything. In fact, it may even be difficult to find an employee desk or workstation that doesn’t have a computer! Gone are the days of typewriters, word processors, or creating documents by hand. It’s easy to see how computers have increased office productivity by leaps and bounds.

But aside from increasing workplace productivity, computers have also changed the location of offices themselves. While traditional offices still stand in brick and mortar buildings, computers allow business and office folk to work remotely, meaning an office can be digitally set up anywhere there’s an internet connection, a computer, and a little gold ol’ fashioned elbow grease. As such, this has lead to the creation of a record number of online small businesses and other digital entrepreneurial ventures.

Not only has remote work significantly increased the amount of entrepreneurs starting their own digital businesses, but it’s also widened the talent pool for businesses seeking job candidates. Furthermore telecommuting has been proven to increase employee job satisfaction and productivity, while also promoting a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

As with most neutral energies however, there is a downside to society’s reliance on technology: poor posture. Workstations have changed in terms of computers, the large, modern office desks that support them, office cubicles designed with feng shui in mind, and office furnishings that reflect the aesthetics of today, but poor posture as a result of poor work chairs is still a problem — perhaps even more so. Work chairs are often the unsung heroes of both retro and contemporary office furniture. Aside from sitting pretty — pun very much intended — work chairs serve the very important function of supporting the employee hard at work.

Without the proper support of an ergonomic work chair, an employee may find it difficult to get any work done. That’s because a person will natural being to slouch or develop poor posture after working at a computer for sometime. Just think of all the times you began slouching after sitting at a desk for what felt like too long. Aside looking uncomfortable, poor posture can lead to or exacerbate a whole slew of health problems, such as back pain, neck pain, difficulty breathing, and even digestion. As such, it’s easy to see how and why choosing the right work chairs is so important, perhaps way more important than you may have originally thought!

If you’re in the market for comfortable, fashionable, back supportive work chairs, a key feature to look for — aside from aesthetics — is adjustable height. A reclining back seat can create additional comfort while armrests provide support. Adjustable lumbar support is a key feature many comfortable and effective work chairs have.