Good typing habits depend just as much on physical setup as on finger placement. Proper posture begins with sitting upright in a chair that supports the lower back, with feet flat on the floor and knees bent at roughly 90 degrees. Shoulders should be relaxed and dropped naturally, not hunched or rolled forward, while the elbows stay close to the body at approximately 90 to 110 degrees. The keyboard should sit at elbow height so that forearms remain roughly parallel to the floor, and the body should be about 5 to 10 centimeters from the edge of the desk.
Wrists deserve special attention because poor wrist position is a leading cause of typing-related injury. They should stay straight and level with the keyboard, never bent up, down, or to the sides, and they should not rest on a hard edge while actively typing. A wrist rest can support the heel of the palm between bursts of typing, but it should never press against the wrist itself, since that compresses the median nerve and can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome. The goal is a neutral, relaxed hand position that lets fingers curve gently over the keys.
The monitor and lighting also affect long-term comfort. The screen should sit about an arm's length, or 50 to 70 centimeters, from the eyes, with the top of the display at or slightly below eye level so the neck stays neutral. Indirect or diffused lighting prevents glare on the screen, and the 20-20-20 rule, looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes, helps reduce digital eye strain. Combined with regular breaks every 50 to 60 minutes, these ergonomic habits lower the risk of repetitive strain injury and make long typing sessions sustainable.