Set up your desk to fit you

Summary

This pattern is for anyone who works at a desk with a computer. It describes how to adjust your chair, screen, keyboard and lighting to fit your body, and how to build movement into the day.

Recommendation	Why?
Adjust your chair first, so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are at about 90°.	The chair sets everything else, and dangling feet put pressure behind your thighs. Use a footrest if the desk is too high for your feet to reach the floor.
Support your lower back with the chair’s backrest.	Sitting back into a supported curve reduces strain compared with perching forward.
Set the keyboard and mouse so your elbows are at about 90° and close to your body, with shoulders relaxed.	Reaching forward or up tenses your shoulders and neck, and keeping wrists straight reduces strain on them.
Put the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level.	You look slightly down at the centre of the screen, which keeps your neck in a comfortable position.
Place the screen about an arm’s length away, directly in front of you.	You can read it without leaning in, and you don’t twist your neck to one side.
Use a laptop stand with a separate keyboard and mouse for regular laptop work.	A laptop on its own can’t have both the screen and the keyboard at the right height.
Position the screen side-on to windows, and reduce glare from overhead lights.	Light from behind the screen strains your eyes, and light from behind you reflects off it.
Change position and move at least every 30 to 60 minutes.	No posture is good for hours, and short, frequent movement breaks matter more than finding the perfect position.

Context

This pattern suits office and home workstations where you sit at a desk for much of the day, including sit–stand desks.

It does not replace a professional assessment if you already have pain, an injury or a condition that affects how you sit. In that case, ask your workplace for an ergonomic assessment or see a physiotherapist. People who wear multifocal glasses may need the screen a little lower than described here.

There’s a trade-off between a fixed “correct” setup and comfort. The angles above are starting points, not exact rules. This pattern favours adjusting to a neutral, relaxed position and then changing it often, rather than holding one posture all day.

Usage

Setting up: work from the floor up. Adjust the chair height and backrest, add a footrest if needed, then set the keyboard and mouse, then the screen height and distance. Finally, check lighting and glare.

During the day: stand up, stretch or walk at least every 30 to 60 minutes, for example when you finish a block of work in Protect blocks of focus time. Look away from the screen at something distant every so often to rest your eyes.

Sit–stand desks: at standing height, keep the same elbow and screen rules, and alternate between sitting and standing rather than standing all day. If you exercise after work, see Warm up before you train.

References

Safe Work Australia and state workplace health and safety regulators publish guidance on workstation setup. Your employer may also offer workstation assessments, and a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can advise on individual needs.