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

sleep early? No way. Who want to turn his life into a nightmarish cycle of getting home exhausted only to collapse into bed, then rushing off the next morning to reach the workplace on time again?

Yet, our bodies cry out for sleep. The amount needed differs from person to person, but most of us need seven to nine hours, and few can keep going for too long on less than five hours a night.

Research has found that sleep deprivation can result in memory impairment, inefficient thought processes, a suppressed immune and even depression. Most recent studies have also linked the lack of good-quality sleep – for as short a period as three nights in a row – with a higher risk of diabetes and weight gain.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that those aren’t the most desirable effects to experience on the job. Who can expect to perform well at work (or in private life) if one is frequently ill, can’t think straight or remember things, and is depressed and overweight?

Fine, But can we really impress at work, have a life and get enough sleep as well?

Overtime sometimes

We all encounter busy periods, which could mean bearing with a work-sleep-work and “no-life” routine for a short time.

However, if these peak periods get more frequent, or your on-duty hours are expanding, it could be time to change jobs or have a serious talk with your boss about your responsibilities. Better a disrupted career than lifelong bad health, or family and friends you hardly know because you never see them.

Work faster

Are you a procrastinator, constantly daydreaming and goofing off? Cut it out. Go to work with an attitude that you are here to… that’s right, work. Get things done promptly so that you can go home instead of staying on for several extra hours in the evening to finish what you should have done in the morning.

If you are done for the day, leave. Forget about looking good to your boss by putting in unpaid overtime. If you manager thinks that only workers who stay late are good workers, make an appointment for a one-to-one meeting where you can-list your projects and discuss how efficiently you have been working.

Remember that in some countries, workers who don’t leave the office at five on the dot are perceived as incompetent individuals who can’t cope with their work.

Live meaningfully

When you get off work at last, don’t fritter the time away drinking yourself silly with acquaintances or going glass-eyed watching television programmes that don’t interest you.

Engage in productive acts to bring you closer to your family and true friends, improve your health or give you a genuine sense of satisfaction.

Even if you fell tired, just chatting with the kids for a while or helping the spouse or parents with light chores can help you feel needed, and encourage you nearest and dearest to appreciate you more. Alternatively, get some exercise, make something useful with your hands, or ring up a good friend who needs a listening ear.

That way, when it’s time to turn in, you will feel that you have done well with that day were given, and do deserve that good seven, eight or nine hours’ sleep ahead of you.

Source: The Straits Times – 12 Jan 08
Written by Adele Ong