Computer Ergonomics Tip #5: The right mouse in the right place.

Sit with your elbows close to your body and place your hands on your desk with your forearms extended naturally. The space that you can move your hands over without moving your elbows away from your body is the neutral reach zone. For good computer ergonomics, you never want to have to reach out of this space to use a mouse.

Ideally, your mouse should be next to your keyboard on your keyboard tray.

Your keyboard tray should have space on either side to allow you to switch over and mouse with your other hand if you start experiencing pain or tingling while mousing.

For this reason, you should be sure to purchase and use a symmetrical mouse that you can use in either hand.

Computer Ergonomics Tip #6: Make sure your workspace is properly lit.

The two things to remember when you're trying to properly light your workspace is that different tasks require different lighting and that different people need different amounts of light to accomplish the same task.

Reading a document, for instance, requires four to five times more light than does viewing a monitor, while people in their sixties require approximately 350% more contrast than do people in their twenties, points out Ronda Crenshaw (Ergonomics 102; Creating a Healthy Workstation).

Your main computer ergonomics goals are to ensure that there is no glare on the monitor and that the work area is not overly bright. Chris Adams, About.com Ergonomics, says that your office should be moderately bright (20-50 foot candles or equal to a nice day where sunglasses aren't needed) (Guide to Setting Up an Ergonomic Workstation).

Strategic task lighting to supplement your main lighting will work well to accommodate different tasks.

Computer Ergonomics Tip #7: Have everything necessary within easy reach.

I said in an earlier computer ergonomics tip that you should be moving around regularly while engaged in computer work. However, that doesn't mean that you should be stretching to your utmost to reach something. Forcing your body into extreme postures, even briefly, can lead to injury.

So another important aspect of computer ergonomics is the organization of your workspace. Everything that you use regularly when engaged in computer work should be within easy reach when you are seated at your desk in your working position. The less often you use something, the further away from you it can be. For more tips on getting and keeping your workspace organized, see Organize Your Office and Improve Your Office Design.

Applying Computer Ergonomics Has Big Benefits

Less back pain. Fewer headaches. Less shoulder aches. More concentration. Applying computer ergonomics to your workspace will benefit both your short-term and your long-term productivity and help keep you injury-free. So when you next sit down to do some computer work, look around your workstation and make sure that your work experience is going to be as ergonomic as possible.