PC Related Stress

Posted by Miles Evans

Stress and fatigue are well known side effects when working with computers. Some people call it the burn out effect. Deadlines, tedious data entry, filtering information, multi-tasking, not to mention all of the physical problems that sitting on your ass for 12 hours/day will impose - my eye sight is absolute crap after a life time of CRT tubes.

Here is a list of things I started doing recently that really did improve my way of life and comfort level with my chosen profession.

Stressing Down

• Do yourself a favor and either use a laptop or get a quiet power supply fan. Noise related stress is very real – trust me I live in Bangkok. It’s easy enough to close the windows while you’re working but constant low level noise can be detrimental to your sanity as this Cornell study shows.
• A proper chair. This is incredibly important. A lot of people I know cannot justify the expense of a proper office chair but that is because they see no immediate benefit. Having said that, the result of a crap chair over years will almost certainly mess up your back, neck and shoulders. My advise is it to go for a high end chair at your local office discount store. If you have around $500 I would immediately order an Aeron chair by Herman Miller.
• LCD Monitors will save your eyes. Well kinda. They are still not good for your eyes but they are infinitely better than that old radiation leaking CRT. I use a Samsung 19â€? 940B as my main monitor and gave all the CRT’s to charity. Seriously spend whatever you can afford in a monitor if you plan on looking at it all day long.
• Carpal tunnel sucks big time and it never really goes away. Try to arrange a mousing surface that keeps you from blocking blood flow up your arm. After adjusting my mousing surface to be flush with the keyboard and just above waist height, I can work much longer, pain free. If your desk surface is too limiting get yourself a mouse arena.
• Exercise. I know it sucks but even 2-3 times/week can really improve your health and overall well being. It is also worth noting that when I am on a proper exercise schedule I am always much more productive behind a desk.
• Fresh air. 90% of your energy is not derived from the food you take in but the air you breath. This is a huge issue for me in a polluted Asian city. Find a park, or leave the city, but make sure you are getting proper daily doses of Oxygen or you will be left feeling flat. I am not sure how much it helps but one thing I do is fill my office with a few tropical plants.
• Ditch the sugary coffee and cola and go for a herbal tea. I drink it both hot and cold and honestly you will not miss the caffeine. Tea also has some amazing properties that make it literally the healthiest thing you can drink on Earth. My friend Dave sells the best gourmet tea I have ever tasted, straight from Thailand.
• Buy a cat or dog, and take a break every day to spend some time with it. It’s a proven fact that pets can significantly reduce stress levels in busy adults, lower your blood pressure, and reduce depression. I don't know what effect my goldfish are having on me but my siamese cat is a treat.
• Hit the beach. I go for a holiday every 3 months and completely separate myself from my online businesses for at least a few days. Well mostly.
• Soothing music. If Slayer does this for you then go for that otherwise check out something more a kin to Sade but with less sucks.

About has a good page with tips on reducing stress and living a happy life style.

Hope this helps. Would love to hear some other suggestions.

Posted Aug 31, 2006 at 03:54 AM | Permalink | Trackback URL | Del.icio.us | DIGG!