Unfortunately, the day-to-day tedium of paperwork, deadline stress and office drama can take their toll on health and happiness. Setting up an ergonomically correct workstation can seem complicated, but experts say the stress-saving benefits are worth it.

Work is a big part of our lives. Our financial stability, and sometimes even sense of self, depend on it.

Unfortunately, the day-to-day tedium of paperwork, deadline stress, and office drama can take their toll on health and happiness. Here are some tips to get aligned and harmonized in the workplace:

Lower your keyboard. Raise your computer screen. Get a footrest.

Setting up an ergonomically correct workstation can sometimes seem complicated and can require some trial-and-error. But in the end, it’s worth it.

“(Ergonomics) really relates to the relationship between people and their environment,” said Gena Kadar, a licensed chiropractor and corporate wellness director for Orange County Heart Institute and Research Center in Orange (ocheart.org). “You want to create a more harmonized environment, so there isn’t any sort of conflict, physically. … At the most basic level … if you’re not comfortable and you’re sitting at your desk eight hours a day, you’re not going to be happy.”

Here are Kadar’s tips:

¢ Set up your work area so that your hips, knees, and elbows are each bent at least 90 degrees.

¢ Adjust the height of armrests on your work chair so your elbows can rest on them and your shoulders remain in a relaxed position. Otherwise your shoulders will raise up toward your ears, causing neck and shoulder pain.

¢ Use a wrist rest below your keyboard to keep your wrists in a neutral position. Otherwise, you’ll have the tendency of lifting your wrists up, which causes pain over time. Kadar recommends a gel or memory foam wrist rest for added comfort.

¢ Use a yoga ball to sit on instead of an office chair. This will require you to keep your body moving, engage your core muscles, and sit upright, which helps keep your spine in its natural S-shape. Look for a ball that is the right size for your workstation setup and that says it’s “anti-burst.”

¢ Take breaks and change up your movements to prevent repetitive motion strain and pain in the body. Break the routine every 20-30 minutes, even if it’s just for 20-30 seconds. Try standing up and stretching whenever you’re on the phone.