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Change Your Environment!
By Jeanette Cates
Quick - check your posture!
Are you sitting straight in your chair - or slouching? Leaning forward? Sticking your neck out?
Now check your hands - are they resting on the keyboard?
Where is your monitor - on a shelf above your head or below your eye level?
These are just a few things you need to be aware of when you’re using the computer. And they may be some of the reasons that you are not as effective at your computer as you could be.
Last week I found myself procrastinating on starting a complex task this week. I just kept going back to check email, following links to sales letters for products I didn’t need - just putting off doing the work. You know the drill!
When I became aware of it, I noticed that my mouse hand was at an awkward angle. I had plugged in an extra USB cable and for some reason the manufacturer of my computer put it right next to my mouse hand. That meant I had to keep my hand extended beyond the comfort level to avoid the USB plug.
As soon as I removed that USB, I was able to start the project!
Most people are not aware of these subtle differences. But they are impacting your performance all the time!
I had the privilege of designing seven computer labs during my tenure at our local community college. Even though I did my best to be sure each of the 20 stations in a lab were “equal” there were always a handful stations that had a lot fewer users. Why?
It could have been less lighting, a draft or the feeling of being in a corner. When asked, most students could not articulate *why* they preferred one workstation over another - they just did.
So let’s get back to *your* work space. Are there tasks you’re putting off? Check your desk. Do you have enough space to spread out papers? Are you using an external mouse rather than your laptop’s touchpad?
If you’re in the habit of using your computer on your lap - get over it! This is one of the worst things you can do to your body. It puts all of your computing parts in the wrong position - from your screen being too far from your face with your neck turned down at an awkward angle to having to cramp your hand in order to move the cursor.
One of the reasons I don’t suffer from carpal tunnel after 25 years of using a computer 10+ hours per day is that I never rest my hands on the keyboard when I type. As a former typing teacher, I was a fanatic about proper posture at the keyboard. And it’s paid off for me with pain-free computing for many years.
The only time I ever experience a problem is when I play too many games. You see, games, more than any other activity, involve a repetitive motion. So if you do start to feel pain or get a tingling down your arm, it’s time to take a break from the games - or switch to the other hand.
The final piece of advice is to move! Set a timer if you need to, but get up from the computer at least once per hour. Stretch your arms above your head. Shake out your hands. Bend over from the waist. No need for calisthenics - just get your blood flowing and give your hands a break.
If you only do two things today, do these:
1. Become aware of how you sit and use the computer.
2. Change your position to ensure painless use over the long term.
If you do those two things, you’ll be on the road to
Change Your Environment!
Topics: Productivity |
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