Updated Oct 11, 2025 11:15 PM EDT
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As working from home rolls on (42 percent of the U.S. labor force is still at it) and proper desks stay scarce, people are taking Zoom meetings from the couch, the floor, and yes, even their bed. The cozy factor is undeniable (an Amerisleep survey found 38 percent of remote employees sneak in midday naps), but these setups can take a real toll on your physical health.
Between tight square footage and family members wandering into frame, we tend to put getting through the day ahead of our bodies. Skipping ergonomics, though, can have long-term consequences: According to Time, if you’re already nursing aches and pains, you may be on track for more serious musculoskeletal injuries—think back issues, sore neck and shoulders, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The good news? Small adjustments can protect your body from the perils of slumping through a presentation from the sofa. Read on.
Neck Strain
The problem: According to a survey by the American Chiropractic Association, 92 percent of chiropractors reported patients complaining of more neck pain since stay-at-home orders began. Your posture and sightline are the likely culprits: The Mayo Clinic notes that the average human head weighs 12 pounds, but tilted 45 degrees toward a too-low laptop screen, it exerts nearly 50 pounds of force on the neck. The solution: Cornell University’s guide to neck strain suggests positioning your monitor at eye level—try stacking your laptop on a stack of books or magazines—to maintain healthy posture and fend off painful kinks. When your back is flush against your chair, keep the monitor about an arm’s length away so you’re not craning into the Gmail abyss.
Shoulder Tension
The problem: Chronic shoulder pain tends to creep in gradually, which makes it easy to dismiss as everyday fatigue. A Healthline report notes that this kind of pain “often stems from prolonged, awkward movements”—like reaching across for your laptop’s trackpad. The solution: Armrests can actually do more harm than good for your shoulder muscles. Try lowering or removing your chair’s armrests altogether so your shoulders can fully relax while your back stays flush against the backrest.
Back Pain
The problem: When you prop your laptop on your legs or perch at an ill-fitting dining table, your screen inevitably sits too low. You hunch forward, triggering an unhappy combo of posture problems and real back pain. As Baptist Health points out, those injuries range widely in severity, from routine muscle spasms to disk herniations. The solution: According to Time, “You want to sit in a way that the natural lordotic curve of your lumbar spine is supported.” In other words: get some support. If an ergonomic chair isn’t an option, tuck a cushion or rolled-up towel behind your lower back. The University of Michigan’s health blog also notes that a chair letting you keep both feet flat on the floor while you knock out to-dos will do wonders for discomfort (adjustable styles make this especially easy).
Sleep Loss
The problem: Sending one more email before bed feels harmless in the moment, but the blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production—the hormone that governs your sleep cycles—according to the National Sleep Organization. Lower melatonin makes it harder to drift off, which then disrupts your REM cycles once you do. While not a visible injury, chronic fatigue can erode cognitive function, weaken muscles, and dampen immunity. The solution: Stash your electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime to give your brain room to shift out of work mode. Reading a book, jotting in a journal, or doing a 10-minute meditation can spark melatonin release and help you sleep more deeply—so you’re ready to hit the ground running at that 9 a.m. meeting the next morning.
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