Here are some tips for staying connected to your body while you’re working at your computer:
– To protect your wrists (and avoid developing carpal tunnel syndrome), get a wrist pad to place in front of your keyboard. Or simply use a rolled-up towel to support and elevate your wrists. Shake out your hands every now and then when you’re typing for long periods of time.
– To protect your eyes, be sure to blink hard several times at regular intervals. This will help prevent eye dryness, a common computer-related problem. Exercise your eye muscles by occasionally looking away from the screen and focusing on objects farther away and in different directions. Then do a few eye rolls: Imagine that you are looking at a huge clock. Slowly roll your eyes straight up to 12 o’clock, then around to each number on the face of the clock till you’re back where you started. Do this several times clockwise, then counterclockwise.
– To protect your back, check into ergonomically designed chairs, back support pillows and footrests. (Office product catalogs and health product catalogs often carry them.)
– Do slow neck and shoulder rolls occasionally while you’re sitting. Then get up and stretch at regular intervals.
– Make sure your monitor is raised to eye level, so your neck isn’t angled as you look at the screen. (Test: Sit in a “perfect posture” position, with your spine and shoulders straight, head centered, and look straight ahead. Your eyes should now be focused on the center of the screen). If they aren’t, buy a monitor stand from a computer store or office products catalog. These stands typically range in height from 4 to 8 inches.
A little research and a couple of minutes out of every hour at the computer can go a long way toward protecting your body from uncomfortable — and potentially serious — physical conditions.
