We all spend way too much time on our computers. Our bodies are suffering. In this post I want to tell you about a few signs that can pop up to alert you that your computer use is affecting your health.
1. Sore wrists
If you have sore wrists it can be a sign that you have a nice case of carpal tunnel or RSI coming on. Sore wrists are extremely common but can be quite serious as many computer related wrist injuries can take years to heal, if at all.
If you are getting sore wrists you need to stop working every 10 minutes and shake them around, tense your fingers and give them a break. It is very important.
2. Sore back
The most common complaint that computer users get is that their back is always sore. This can be caused by bad posture, poorly set up desk height or the wrong type of chair. Take a look at this post on sore backs at work for some simple ways to fix the problem.
3. Sore eyes
Sore eyes come about for a few reasons. The most common one is that you are staring at the screen far too much and your eye balls are drying out and losing the essential moisture. This can cause damage over time. The other cause is having your computer screen light incorrectly. For example, you do not want to have sunlight shining directly on to the screen.
If you are getting sore eyes try to re-asses where your desk is placed and take regular breaks to give your eyes a rest. Try looking at some big views or some duller colors for a short time.
4. Increased stress
There is a new craze sweeping the modern world – computer related stress. I talked about it a lot in this post on Facebook addiction and I think it is something that many of us need to address before it gets out of hand.
Computer stress is a sign that your computing is affecting your health. Stress can cause many physical health problems such as headaches, stomach aches and even heart problems. Stress also lowers your immune capabilities. If you feel that your word processing, accounting, Facebook use or anything related to using a computer is stressing you out then you need to take time away from the keyboard. Do something else before that stress manifests physically.
Another option is to learn how to manage that stress using some of the simple meditations in my free eBook Enlightening Stress Relief.
5. Weight gain
Spending all day on a computer means that you are not getting a lot of exercise. Unless you take specific measures to go for a run or hit the gym the chances are that most of us computer users aren’t getting enough movement in the day. The easiest way to tell if you aren’t moving enough is if you are putting on weight.
Being overweight is a health hazard. It has been clearly established that overweight people are more likely to get cancer, heart disease, diabetes and so on. These are serious problems and they could be happening to you because of your computer use. If you are putting on weight then perhaps it is time to cut back on the computing and get out a little more.
The way I avoid this problem is to exercise before work as it means I start the day in an active way and get in my quota of exercise before work drains all of my energy.
Conclusion
These are not the only signs that you might get. Many people get headaches and sore necks and aching shoulders. The idea is to be aware of your body and take action as soon as you think something is not quite right. Don’t be fooled – using a computer too much can seriously affect your health.
top image:
photo credit: Betsssssy
Originally posted on June 5, 2008 @ 4:34 am
