Is Your Office Crush Sitting Right in Front of You?

Evaluate & Improve The Cubicle Romance With Your Computer

Your DVR is filled to the brim with reruns of The Bachelor and Sex and the City. You are a member of everything from Match.com to Facebook, and your friends call you the social director of your crew. Relationships are important to you, but could you be neglecting the one relationship in which you spend the majority of your day?

The average employed woman who works in an office setting spends almost triple the amount of time with her computer (9.3 hours) than she does with her significant other (3.6 hours) on a daily basis, according to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Wellgate for Women. Male office workers, too, are spending a considerable amount of time with their computers as compared to their significant others (8.9 hours and 4.5 hours, respectively). Even friends are getting the cold shoulder — with both men and women spending approximately eight more hours, on average, clicking on their keyboard than hanging out with their friends. So, whether or not you'd like to admit it, the relationship you have with your computer is pretty serious.

To evaluate and improve your cubicle romance, there are some easy steps you can take without an intervention from Dr. Phil. Think of the following recommendations from Megan Barclay M.S., P.T. as a mini couple's therapy session to keep your relationship on track.

  1. Make Eye Contact! Place the top of your monitor at or below eye level.
  2. Sit Up Straight! Make sure your upper and lower back is well-supported with an appropriate lumbar support when sitting vertical or leaning back slightly.
  3. Relax! Keep your shoulder blades down, back and loose.
  4. Chin Up! Keep your head and neck balanced and in line with the torso.
  5. Spread 'Em! Make sure there is plenty of room for the keyboard and mouse on your desk.
  6. Accessorize! Slip on Wellgate for Women's stylish and functional Slimfit Wrist Support®, which can comfortably help relieve pain from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and general discomfort from repetitive wrist movement while using a computer.
  7. Elbows In! Forget keeping your elbows off the table, keep them close to the body and supported to help keep wrists straight.
  8. Line Up! Keep your wrists and hands in-line with your forearms.
  9. Hips Donít Lie! Place your fleet flat on the floor, make sure your knees are at the same height as your hips and your feet are planted slightly forward.
  10. Baby Got Back! Support your hips and thighs with a well-cushioned seat.

Love your wrist, even if your computer doesn't. Read the top ways to stretch and strengthen your wrist.