Our interest in how IT is used in the wider environment properly applies to the physical office space. Health and safety teams in organisations would arrange for annual ergonomic assessments. Now many of us are working from home, we (especially I) need to remind ourselves of what makes the environment amenable and healthy.
I am conscious that sitting in front of the screen all day is not so healthy and have a natural tendency to slouch. In 2001, about a year into my job at Oxford University Computing Services (OUCS), I swapped my standard chair for a ‘Posture Chair’, until I left in 2008. It helped me to keep my back straight. A physiotherapist told me it was very popular a few years ago, but now it is only recommended for light use because of the pressure on the knees. Oops! However, I would tend to hang in balance on it, with very little of my weight going through the knees — I’ve already given them a knock when doing the triple jump for athletics at school.
My main harmonising activity is silent meditation. A few years before mindfulness was being offered to staff, I set up a group in OUCS which met once a week during lunchtime. It’s a practice I have maintained on a daily basis, including during a 2 year period in Doha, Qatar. I recommend meditation to everyone who reads this page!
This page was published on 29 May 2022 and last updated on June 11, 2022 .