Today’s wellbeing tip is Ergonomically Working From Home:

Most people don’t have the same equipment at home that they have in the office. That wasn’t a problem until the largest working-from-home experiment in history.

Sure, you can do everything from your laptop while sitting on the wooden chair at your kitchen table. But you can’t do it without putting yourself at risk.

One of the easiest and most important things you can do is to take your keyboard and mouse home from the office with you. Hunched forward with shrugged shoulders, a bent neck, and angled wrists – hardly anyone can use a laptop without a severely restricted posture. It might even be how you are sitting right now.

Do this for a day or two and you’ll probably be fine. But weeks or longer and it is a different story.  An external keyboard and mouse allows you to sit upright with the shoulders squared, in turn helping you keep a neutral spine.

Position the keyboard and mouse in the primary work zone – the area you can access comfortably without bending or reaching.

Arguably the biggest benefit of this is then having the ability to raise your laptop, either with a stand or even just on top of some books. This accomplishes two ergonomic goals; your eyes will no longer be too close to the screen and your neck won’t have to remain tilted.

Position the top of your monitor just below eye level at about one arm’s length away, protecting you from ocular discomfort and neck and upper back pain at the same time.

Even though we are in lock down, social connection is vital.  Today’s wellbeing tip touches on connection and whakawhanaungatanga:

You can connect in so many ways. Connect with the people around you, such as your whānau/family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Connect at home, work, or in your local community. Think of these relationships as the cornerstone of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day through the lock down and after.

• Become involved in online groups; join a book club, cooking group, sewing, or reading aloud group.
• Organise a baby photo competition with friends or colleagues – guess who the baby is!
• Host an online potluck dinner, with colleagues, teams, neighbours or friends/family and bring kai from different cultures.
• Gather for an online DVD evening; ask people to share a film they like.
• Smile at a stranger when out for essential shopping – you may be surprised by the smile you get back!
• Find more opportunities for humour in the home by starting a family joke collection.
• Have a whānau WIFI, TV and text free day and bring out the old board games you have – you may be surprised at how much fun they still are!
• Contact a friend you have not seen or spoken to for a while and talk, talk, talk!

COVID-19 is changing our daily lives. It’s important to look after our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our work teams, whānau and community as we get through this – together.

We’ve had feedback that it’s easy to lose track of days, so we thought we would trial a daily morning post to note each week day during Alert 4 and share a wellbeing tip.

Do comment if you feel this is a good idea, or not a good idea!  All feedback is welcome.  Happy Friday everyone!

Today we share tips on ‘Ways to Connect’ 

Connecting with others is so important for our wellbeing and helps to make us feel safer, less stressed and less anxious. We can support each other to get through this.

Some ideas to connect include:

• joining the national bear hunt – place a bear in the window, so kids can find them when they are out walking with their whānau bubble,
• writing emails that share a favourite memory,
• playing video games with mates,
• playing online scrabble or other board games,
• joining or starting a virtual book club,
• sharing a favourite karakia or waiata with your friends on social media,
• having video catch-ups with work colleagues,
• calling work colleagues, friends and whānau who are in self-isolation and
• reaching out to neighbours to ensure everyone has what they need to get through.

In early March, Customer services advertised two fixed term Librayr Assistant vacancies.  Due to COVID-19, this recruitment process has been closed and will not proceed.

A warm welcome to Andy Johnson in the position of Makerspace Facilitator.  Andy was appointed back in January and started in the role on Monday 23 March 2020.  What a day to start a new job!  Andy is based in the customer services team and his usual workstation is next to Hugh in the level 2 workroom.  You may see him online so please make him welcome.

FYI – The Te Rua Makerspace is nearing completion, with the last of the glass going in on Wednesday 25 March 2020.  It looks like Te Rua construction will be completed before we return to campus.

Security staff are helping us in customer services.  While they are here, they will be using the level 5 tearoom for breaks and lunch.  Please make them welcome.

Cleaning Services have advised that the fogging application will take place to disinfect surfaces on Friday after 9.30pm in MB, EPS and PJH Libraries.

They require all cutlery, cups from desks and food be put away.

• Plants are okay
• PC’s are okay (cleaning services have found a workaround to support remote working arrangements)

From Thursday 5 March, the IT Help desk will move off the Info Desk and operate from their 214 consultation rooms.  Their PC on the info desk will be also be removed.

IT enquiries at the info desk will be supported by promoting the self-help webpage www.canterbury.ac.nz/its as this can reset passwords and provide other useful info, or redirected to the 214 IT Help drop-in service.  There are also two standing PC’s in the 214 waiting area dedicated to the ITS self-help webpage.

IT are also looking at offering a booking service for longer consultations.  More information about this will be available when confirmed.

These vacancies are now live on the UC Jobs website:

Job ID 2111, Library Assistant | Kaiāwhina

Large glass panels will be installed in Te Rua Makerspace from 8.30am Thursday 13 February 2020. A ‘coned/warning keep clear tape’ pathway through the main entrance doors of PJH to Te Rua will be in place. While the glass is being moved, access to and from the workroom as well as to the staff lifts on level 2 is restricted. As soon as the glass is moved into position, the cones and tape will be removed.

Staff will need to access the workroom by going up the stairs/other lifts to level 3 and coming down, or going down to the undercroft and coming up.

Returns will be received at the information desk on Level 2 during this time, as access to the Returns slot is not available.