Those who are fortunate enough to have a guest room or spare room could consider transforming it into a temporary office or workspace. Even if you live in less spacious quarters, having a specific place to work is useful, even if it's just a corner of a living room or bedroom. This will also help to set boundaries between work and home life.
Using a laptop? Make sure you can either dock it onto a larger screen that’s at eye height, or raise it onto books or a laptop holder so you aren’t slouching to read the screen, putting pressure on your lower and upper back. Then use a separate keyboard and mouse.
Do what you can to make your workspace at home as comfortable and functional as possible. Not taking time to prepare your chair for instance can do an immense amount of damage to your physical and mental wellbeing.
Ideally, you’ll be mostly using a chair, so if it’s a dining chair, rather than an office one, use a cushion or rolled-up towel for extra support. Better still, buy an inflatable lumbar support cushion for your lower back curve.
Keep blood and oxygen moving around your body to avoid tension building up. Take your laptop to a higher surface, like a kitchen worktop or tall chest of drawers, and stand for a while.
If you only have your sofa to work from, mimic a good setup. Build a supportive back using cushions (deep sofas cause slouching). Put a cushion under your laptop to protect yourself against heat and raise it up. Try an adjustable laptop holder that’s made for sofa or bed use.
When using a keyboard and mouse, keep them close to you so you don't have to extend your arms forward when typing (shoulder and neck tension can quickly follow). Keep wrists relaxed and straight, reducing pressure build-up.
If you feel tense or experience pins and needles, it’s usually your body telling you to change posture (or stop slouching). Find ways to support your body so muscles relax.
These are harder to remember when working at home, so set automatic reminders on your phone.
Bean bags are surprisingly good for adapting around your body. You can usually find a way to sit with your arms and back supported, allowing you to use your laptop in a more ergonomic way. Arrange the bag first so your lower-back curve, shoulders, neck and arms are supported. And if noisy kids or pets disturb your peace, just carry the bean bag to another room.