The Aches and Pains of Working

Before you come down with something serious, try these preventative measures:

• If you're a homebased entrepreneur (or just take work home at night), don't use your kitchen table as a computer workstation. The height simply isn't right for typing.
• Speaking of typing, if you do a lot of inputting, use a wrist rest.
• If you spend significant amounts of time on the phone, invest in a headset. This will alleviate shoulder and neck pain.
• Make sure your furniture, particularly your chair, is ergonomically designed. The possible additional cost is well worth the potential savings in downtime and medical bills.
• Take time during your day (or night) to take frequent breaks, and try some daily stretching and strengthening exercises to ward off recurring problems.

Excerpted from Get Smart: 365 Tips To Boost Your Entrepreneurial IQ