Years of not being able to find the cordless phone, scotch tape, screwdriver and flashlight are over.   No more juggling workspace with kids homework, school projects, sports equipment, and electronic “stuff”.

Both of my sons recently left for college. At first, I did my share of tears,
feeling lost, empty and sad. Then after being gone from home a few days, both of my sons were calling, texting and e-mailing. I have been speaking to them more now than when they were living at home.

That’s when I realized, this is a good thing! I now have the best of both worlds.  My children, my house and some freedom, sweet freedom!!

Ergonomics is all about making things work for you, your body, your well being and your lifestyle. Here are some tips I came up with for my fellow empty nesters or soon to be empty nesters.

1.    Clean out those drawers and cabinets filled with all your kids old school papers.

2.    Reassign that drawer/cabinet to you.  Make sure you figure out what you want to put in it, then get a container or box just the right size with sections to keep it organized

3.    Clear out the extra sports equipment, art supplies and miscellaneous stuff. Sell it or pass it along for another kid to enjoy and benefit from.

4.    Use that extra space you now have and get your own home workstation.

5. Be spontaneous.  You can do it now!! Get in your car and take a trip with your spouse or a friend for the day or weekend.  Get to know yourself all over again.

6.    Take a class just for the fun of it.

7.    Remember, now that you do not need to juggle workspace with your kids, you can set your work area up so that it is designed meet your specific needs and to give you the best support, comfort and efficiency.  Best part about it is you can get up and leave the workstation and when you come back it is exactly how you left it!  Sweet!!!

Is it worth saving a few dollars?

I have always  prided myself on being a great  bargain shopper.   It was not until my recent trip to New York that I began to think about ratio of dollars to comfort.  I flew Economy on the way there, but upgraded with frequent flyer points to First Class coming back.

What a difference!
It really got me thinking…….Is it worth saving a few dollars to pay the price in other ways.

Packed like a sardine with no room for your legs, seats that are broken without adjustment, no footrest and not even getting peanuts on a 5-hour flight is no bargain!  Obviously, without frequent flyer points (or a rich uncle) traveling First Class is  not an option for most of us, but if you do a little research, you can at least get to your destination without severe neck and back pain.

Here’s a few tips:

• Find out what type of aircraft you will be flying.  According to Seatguru.com, among the domestic lines, JetBlue and United’s Economy Plus cabins are the best.  The tightest airplanes are  767s with 8-across seating, 777s with 10-across, and Airbus wide bodies with 9-across. It may be worth paying a few extra dollars for a little more leg room on these.
• Always request a aisle seat, exit row or the bulkhead. You get more legroom and have the flexibility to get up from your seat and walk around without bothering your neighbor.
• Bring your own pillow and travel blanket (AA now charges $5.00 for a pillow and blanket).  You can use it as a pillow or a support for your arm when reading during the flight.
• Take along a foam or inflatable footrest.  This can help keep your blood circulating and not pooling in your feet and legs during the trip.  This can be very dangerous to your health as in blood clots and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).
• Exercise your ankles while seated by pointing and flexing your feet.
• Bring your own snack- Even if  the airline you are flying on has food for sale.  It is not worth $10.00 for the finger size sandwich and chips
• Turn the overhead air nozzle to circulate the air in front of your face area so you are not breathing the stagnant re-circulated air.

Happy travels,