Illustration: Claire Mallison

Sit up straight with your shoulder blades pulled back and your chin up.

Position your monitor so that the top of the screen is at or just below eye level. One study found that people who tilt their heads more than 3 percent to view their monitor have a 50 percent greater risk of neck pain.

Move your keyboard so that the distance from the edge of your desktop to the J key is greater than five inches.

Use a chair with armrests, which an international task force on neck pain found decreases the risk of neck discomfort.

Place your keyboard so that, while you're typing, your forearms are parallel to the floor or tilted slightly upward.

The soles of your feet should rest comfortably on the floor (or a footrest) and your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor.

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