Ergonomics and You

07/24/2025

Have you heard the saying, "Maybe you are not making progress because you keep raising the bar"? 🤔

When I first read this, it resonated deeply with me. ❤️As I build my ergonomics business, there are times when I feel like I'm not making progress. I'm constantly trying to find ways to grow my business, attract clients, tweak my website, add more blogs, attend networking meetings or events, and consider hiring someone to handle different aspects of the business. Yet, despite all these efforts, people don't comment on my posts, I don't get clients or referrals, and I often feel overwhelmed by the mechanics of starting a business. However, I've come to realize that I am making progress. If I look back from when I first started, I have come a long way and learned a lot along the way. It may not be visible in the numbers or comments, but it's evident in the number of people I've talked to. Eventually, it will show in time.

🎶In addition to my business, I'm also a ballroom dancer. 💃My husband and I recently started taking private dance lessons again at the Hive Ballroom, reviewing our steps. We've danced together for over 20 years in competitions, as part of the SJSU Ballroom Dance Club, ran a ballroom dance ministry at Calvary Church in Los Gatos, CA, and taught at various community centers. It has been 4 years since we have taught or gone out to take some dance lessons. Each time we step onto the dance floor, we make progress in our mind and body.

I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't raise the bar, as doing so is essential for reaching your goals and challenging yourself. But it's important to recognize that whatever you're doing, you are making progress. 👍

07/18/2025

My next Ergonomics and You podcast is Tuesday, July 29th at 11:00 EST, 8:00 PST. My guest will be Mona Giordano speaking about Canva Confidence. She is an amazing speaker and very talented in Canva so come one, come all to learn about some tips on using Canva. Register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/q6x5eXZBQBWfBdgdgVS1Mw. The meeting will be recorded if you are not able to be there live.

07/03/2025

What are you using your cell phone for during the day? It is probably not to call a friend but to check your e-mail, look at social media, or get directions. Are you having neck and upper back discomfort? Read my latest blog at https://www.ergonomicsandyou.com/blog/how-do-you-use-your-cell-phone to give you some tips on how to use your cell phone more effectively while preventing and reducing discomfort.

07/03/2025

How do you use your cell phone? Do you experience neck and upper back discomfort? Check out my latest blog at https://www.ergonomicsandyou.com/blog/how-do-you-use-your-cell-phone for tips on using your cell phone more effectively while preventing discomfort.

06/25/2025

Hello all. The recording for my Episode #4 for Ergonomics and You with Serafine Lilien is at https://youtu.be/YJqbJ4y5iWw We talked about Home and Remote Ergonomics and Serafine came up with some great tips on how to set yourself up at your computer while working from home.
· Adjust your chair so your feet are on the ground or on a footrest and your chair backrest supports your back. Serafine talked about using a towel on your chair so you can have some upper back support from your chair.
· Place your desk height at your elbow height.
· Place your monitor(s) at your eye level with books or an Amazon box filled with books. Don’t forget to raise your laptop on a laptop riser or books. Serafine commented that 15 degrees forward doubles the pressure on your neck.
· We talked about cell phone use and using the “nodding to the world method”. You will have to listen to the podcast to hear about this 😊
· No static postures. Ingrain movement in your day. Stand periodically during the day even if it is 10-15 minutes at a time.

What changes have you made at your home office to be set up to reduce or prevent discomfort? If you have any questions, reach out to Serafine on the West Coast and me on the East Coast. Serafine's details are in the description of the YouTube clip.

Come hear her story and learn about home and remote ergonomics. Many of us are working from home; Serafine has some good pointers to tell us about how you ca...

06/17/2025

Hello everyone. Serafine Lilien, MS HF&E will be on my 4th episode of my Ergonomics and You podcast on June 24th at 11:00 am EST, 8:00 am PST. The title is: Home and Remote Ergonomics: A Graphic Artist turned Ergonomic Specialist. Come hear her story and learn about home and remote ergonomics. Many of us are working from home; Serafine has some good pointers to tell us about how you can efficiently work from home and reduce discomfort while you are working on your computer. That Amazon box can be a footrest, laptop riser, or a monitor riser. Do you have the right chair for you in your home office?

Her company, Ergoarts, is helping companies to prevent workplace injuries and optimize employee well-being through expert ergonomic solutions. She eliminates the pain of repetitive strain injuries, discomfort, and lost workdays that hold teams back. Who would not want that?

She is based in Portland, OR and her corporate clients have been Lam Research, Nike, Portland Public Schools, Portland Community College, TriMet, and others.

Register at the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/q6x5eXZBQBWfBdgdgVS1Mw

06/09/2025

Have you checked your posture today? Are you sitting back in your chair and using the chair backrest. Are you keeping your head over your shoulders, and shoulders over your hips? Is your monitor at the right distance for you so you don't lean your body forward to see the screen or move only your head forward? I have a tendency to move my head forward while I am taking notes in church or meetings. It might be a small movement or small angle out of line, but it can make a big difference in our neck and upper back if we don't correct the position.

In this video below, I talk about how ballroom dancers need to keep good posture when they are dancing and so should we when we work at our desks, in meetings, or at church. Dancers especially in partnerships need to keep just the right balance that they look elegant and show the correct steps and that involves keeping good posture otherwise, they would be falling forward or backwards and someone gets hurt.

When do you notice that you are not keeping good posture on or off your computer and what do you do to change it? When I talk in networking meetings, everyone sits back in their chairs and straightens their posture so do we slouch when we are in Zoom meetings? What are your experiences?

05/20/2025

Here is the recording of Podcast #3 with Alison Heller-Ono. Please review the description in the YouTube clip for the contact information for Alison and me. We discussed the following:
✅ What ergonomics really means
✅ Why it matters for both employees and employers
✅ My Ergonomics Process Influence Model
✅ The 3 essential components of a successful program
✅ How to get started with leadership buy-in
… and much more!

This is my third podcast, and I am honored to have Alison Heller-Ono, President and CEO of Worksite International, director to the Worksite International Erg...

05/14/2025

Hello all. My 3rd episode of my podcast is next Tuesday, the 20th of May. It was moved back one week because of Memorial Day/weekend. Also, I am changing the time from 11:00 am EST to 3:30 EST, 12:30 PST. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/24-8qpnnRDyyw_hXxmJcuA
Our speaker is Alison Heller-Ono, a fellow Ergonomist (try saying that 10 times fast) and international educator about Ergonomics. She is a very accomplished ergonomist and her company Worksite International started in 1993 walks you through the Ergonomics process, she has an Academy where she brings in speakers to talk about different subject matters and she has developed online trainings for corporations and professionals, and she has many white papers she has written. She is based in California and Alison will speak about the ROI of Corporate Ergonomics. She will discuss what is Ergonomics? Why is an ergonomics program helpful to employers? How can employees and employers' benefit from Ergonomics.
Come join us as we dive into the field of Ergonomics. The podcast will be recorded in case you miss it.

05/01/2025

Do you ever feel trapped at your workstation, confined to an uncomfortable chair leaving you unsure of what to look for in a new one? Or perhaps you find yourself working solely from your laptop, without external devices like a keyboard, mouse, or second monitor, with your head tilted down, believing that's the only way to do your job and feeling powerless to change it? I can help.

Imagine walking through a tunnel of trees with their branches overhanging the sidewalk, feeling frustrated and in pain due to the discomfort at your workstation. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, where the trees stand aside, allowing you to walk freely and comfortably.

I can assist you in several ways:
---Selecting the perfect chair for your needs.
---Providing office ergonomic presentations for your business or corporation.
---Educating you on the optimal setup for your workstation, evaluating your workspace virtually or in-person, recommending products, discussing behavioral adjustments, and following up with you once you receive your equipment.

Let me know how I can help you. Schedule a meeting on my calendar: https://calendly.com/ergonomicsandyou/discovery-call

Feel free to let me know if you need any further adjustments! 😊

04/30/2025

Peggy E Rojas and I had a great 1:1 yesterday. She is in need of a chair, and she wanted my opinion on a chair she picked out. Below is a picture of the chair. I took measurements to find the right chair for her. Peggy is 5'0" and needs a chair that fits her and nothing more. The black chair has a lot of cushions, but would it support her in the right places? Is it low enough for her height? Would the seatpan fit her leg length, probably not? Stay tuned to what chair I have recommended for her.

04/30/2025

Peggy E Rojas and I had a great 1:1 yesterday. She is in need of a chair, and she wanted my opinion on a chair she picked out. Below is a picture of the chair. I took measurements to find the right chair for her. Peggy is 5'0" and needs a chair that fits her and nothing more. The black chair has a lot of cushions, but would it support her in the right places? Is it low enough for her height? Would the seatpan fit her leg length, probably not? Stay tuned to what chair I have recommended for her.