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Repetitive Strain Injury (or RSI) describes a group of conditions that arise from overuse of the computer. It affects muscles and nerves in the back and arms when these areas are kept tense for long periods of time due to repetitive motions, poor posture and stress.

Warning Signs

Look out for:

* Pain in the upper body, such as in the neck, shoulders, upper back, wrists, hands or fingers.
* Tingling or numbness, as though the affected area has lost circulation (this can also sometimes be present when lying in bed at night.)
* Weakness or fatigue in the affected area.

Good Posture

Firstly, you should position your chair correctly. Start by pushing your hips as far back as they’ll go in the chair. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, and if necessary adjust the seat so that your knees are on the same level as your hips.

If you have armrests, adjust them so that you can lean on them with your shoulders relaxed. If your shoulders have to hunch at all for your arms to rest comfortably on your armrests, either adjust them or take them off completely.

Finally, adjust the back of your chair so it is completely upright. Your whole back should feel supported. If not, you may want to add a small pillow or back support.

Work breaks

As mentioned earlier, many freelancers have a habit of sitting at their desk for hours on end without moving. As you can imagine, this is not what our bodies were designed to do. Keep your body happy by doing the following:

Every thirty minutes take a two-minute break
Stretch out your neck, arms and back and get out of your seat. Jumping up and down a couple of times is a quick way to get your blood circulating.

Every hour take a five to ten minute break and walk around
It only has to be down the hall, but make sure you get moving and give your eyes something else to focus on. If you’re trying to drink more water you can get up every hour to drink a glass. If you drink one glass of water every hour for a full workday of eight hours you’ll be drinking the amount of water recommended for an adult.

Place objects farther than arms-length away from you
Have objects like your telephone or stationery away from you so you need to get out of your chair to get them.

Look into the distance to protect your eyes
Take care of your eyes by looking off into the distance at regular intervals. If you look into the distance and feel eyestrain or your vision is blurry, you know it’s time to take a longer break.

Blink more
Place your palms on something cool like glass or metal so they become cold, then gently rest them on your eyes for a moment. Most computer workers do not blink enough which can lead to dry and uncomfortable eyes.

Do not eat lunch at your desk
We all get tempted to eat at our desk when we’re facing a deadline (or just feeling lazy). Resist the urge and get outside if you can.

Consider dumping your mouse
If you use your mouse a lot (illustrators, designers and photo retouchers in particular) consider buying a graphics tablet. Mice put strain on your whole arm, while a graphics tablet is more ergonomic and well suited for detail work.

RSI Software

It’s easy to get lost in work. Fortunately there are special software packages designed to help you remember what you should be doing. Some tell you when to take breaks, others offer added features like exercise prompts and screen freezes. Here are some to consider:

- Desk Doctor – http://einspine.com
- Time Out – http://dejal.com/timeout
- MacbreakZ – http://publicspace.net/MacBreakZ
- Workrave – http://workrave.org

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