Audit your desk setup and fix what's hurting your neck, back, wrists, or eyes — with specific, mostly-free adjustments before you buy anything. Use when asked to check my desk setup, ergonomics help, my [wrists/neck/back] hurt from my desk, or how to set up my workstation. Produces a point-by-point setup check (chair, screen, keyboard, mouse, lighting), the specific fixes ranked free-first, cheap upgrades only if needed, and micro-break habits — with a 'see a professional for persistent pain/numbness' flag.
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Use desk-ergonomics-audit to audit [desk setup and devices] for [complaint and symptoms], within [budget and space constraints], and return free-first adjustments, only necessary upgrades, and micro-break habits.
Required inputs
[desk setup and devices]
[complaint and symptoms]
[budget and space constraints]
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SKILL.md
name: desk-ergonomics-auditdescription: "Audit your desk setup and fix what's hurting your neck, back, wrists, or eyes — with specific, mostly-free adjustments before you buy anything. Use when asked to check my desk setup, ergonomics help, my [wrists/neck/back] hurt from my desk, or how to set up my workstation. Produces a point-by-point setup check (chair, screen, keyboard, mouse, lighting), the specific fixes ranked free-first, cheap upgrades only if needed, and micro-break habits — with a 'see a professional for persistent pain/numbness' flag."
Desk Ergonomics Audit
Most desk pain comes from a handful of misalignments you can fix for free by moving things a few inches — a screen too low, a chair too high, wrists bent at the keyboard. This audits your setup point by point, gives the specific adjustment for each, and only suggests buying something when a free fix won't do.
What This Skill Produces
A point-by-point audit — chair, desk height, monitor, keyboard, mouse, lighting, laptop use
The specific fix for each — the exact adjustment (raise screen to eye level, elbows ~90°, feet supported)
Free-first ranking — reposition and improvise before spending; books under a monitor beat a new stand
Targeted cheap upgrades — only where a free fix can't solve it (e.g., external keyboard for laptop users)
Micro-break habits — the movement cadence that matters more than any single tweak
A pain flag — persistent pain, numbness, or tingling → see a professional
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
The complaint — neck, upper/lower back, wrists, shoulders, eyes — or a proactive check
Your setup — desk, chair, monitor(s) or laptop, keyboard/mouse, lighting
Laptop or desktop — laptop-only setups need specific fixes
Hours & symptoms — time seated, and stiffness vs actual pain/numbness
Framework: Align, Free-First, Move
Set the neutral posture targets. Eyes at the top third of the screen, elbows ~90°, wrists straight, feet supported, thighs level — audit against these.
Fix with what's there first. Raise the monitor on books, lower the chair, pull the keyboard closer — most fixes cost nothing.
Solve laptop neck. A laptop forces a choice between neck and wrists — the fix is almost always raise the screen + external keyboard/mouse.
Buy only where needed. Recommend a cushion, footrest, or keyboard only when repositioning can't solve it.
Movement beats the perfect chair. Build in micro-breaks and position changes — stillness is the real problem.