Reduce TechStress at Home

Adapted from the book, Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Faass, (2020). Tech Stress: How Technology Is Hijacking Our Lives, Strategies for Coping, and Pragmatic Ergonomics. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.

Numerous people report that working at the computer at home is more tiring than working in the office.  Although there are obvious advantages to working at home, there are also disadvantages (e.g., no space to work, challenging ergonomics, no escape from the family, lack of nonverbal cues used to communicate, less informal sharing at the water cooler, increased multitasking by working and having to take care of the children).

A major challenge is having a comfortable work space in your home.  This may mean finding a place to put the computer, keyboard and screen.  For some it is the kitchen table, desk in the corner of the bedroom, or coffee table while other it is in a totally separate room.

Incorrect ergonomic arrangement and stressed work style often increases neck, shoulder discomfort and aggravates eye strain and tiredness. Regardless how your digital work space is organized, implement the following life and work style suggestions and ergonomics recommendations to promote health.

LIFE AND WORK STYLE SUGGESTIONS

Take many, many, many breaks.  Movement breaks will reduce the covert static tension that builds up as we sit in static positions and work at the computer.

• Every few minutes take a small break such as stand up and wiggle or role your shoulders. When performing the movements, stop looking at the screen and look around the room or out the window.
• Every 30 minutes get up walk around for and move your body. Use timers to notify you every 30 minutes to take a break (e.g., cellphone alarms or personal digital assistants such as Hey Google, Siri, or Alexa).

Improve vision.

• Take vision breaks to reduce eye fatigue.
  • Every few minutes look away from the screen and into the far distance and blink. If at all possible look outside at green plants which relaxes the near vision induced tension.
  • Blink and blink again. When working at the computer we reduce our blinking rate. Thus, blink each time you click on a new link, finishing entering a column of numbers, etc.
  • Close your eyes by letting the eye lids drop down as you also relax your jaw. Imagine a hook on top of your head which is pulling your head upward and at the same time drop your shoulders.
• Reduce glare and bright backgrounds
  • Arrange your computer screen at 90 degrees to the brightest light source.
  • Have a darker background behind you when participating in video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, WhatsApp, FaceTime). Your face will be visible.

Regenerate

• When stressed remember to breathe. As you inhale let your stomach expand as you exhale let the air flow out slowly.
• Stop watching and listening to the negative news (check the news no more than once a day). Watch positive and humorous movies.
• Get fresh air, go for a walk, and be in the sun
• Reconnect with friends and share positive experiences.
• Remind yourself, that this too shall pass.

ERGONOMIC RECOMMENDATIONS: MAKE THE WORLD YOURS

Good ergonomics means adapting the equipment and environment to you and not the other way around. Optimizes the arrangement of the chair, desk, keyboard, mouse, camera, screen and yourself as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Recommended arrangement for working at the computer.

Arrange the laptop

The laptop is challenging because if your hands are at the right height for data entry on the keyboard, then you must look down to see the screen.  If the screen at the right height, then you have to raise your hands to reach the keyboard. There are two solutions for this challenge.

1. Use an external keyboard and mouse, then raise the laptop so that the top of the screen is at eye level. Use a laptop stand or a stack of books to raise the lap top.
2. Use an external monitor for display, then use the laptop as your keyboard.

If these solutions are not possible, take many, many, many breaks to reduce the neck and shoulder stress.

Arrange the computer workstation

1. Adjust the chair so that your forearms can rest on the table without raising your shoulders. This may mean sitting on a pillow. If the chair is then too high and your legs dangle, create a foot stool on which you can rest your feet.
2. Adjust the monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level. If the monitor is too low, raise it by putting some books underneath it.
3. If possible, alternate standing and sitting while working.

RESOURCES

Book

Tech Stress: How Technology Is Hijacking Our Lives, Strategies for Coping, and Pragmatic Ergonomics provides insight in how discomfort, symptoms and media addiction develops and what you can do about it.  It incorporates the role of evolutionary traps, how biofeedback makes the unaware aware, experiential physical and cognitive practices, and ergonomic recommendations to optimize health and productivity. A must book for anyone using digital devices. Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Faass, (2020). Tech Stress: How Technology Is Hijacking Our Lives, Strategies for Coping, and Pragmatic Ergonomics. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.

Ergonomic suggestions for working at the computer and laptop.

https://peperperspective.com/2014/09/30/cartoon-ergonomics-for-working-at-the-computer-and-laptop/

https://peperperspective.com/2014/02/24/optimizing-ergonomics-adapt-the-world-to-you-and-not-the-other-way-around/

11 tips for working at home

https://www.bakkerelkhuizen.com/knowledge-center/11-productivity-tips-for-homeworkers/?utm_campaign=US+-+19+03+20&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

How our digital world activates evolutionary response patterns.

https://peperperspective.com/2020/01/17/evolutionary-traps-how-screens-digital-notifications-and-gaming-software-exploits-fundamental-survival-mechanisms/

https://peperperspective.com/2018/02/10/digital-addiction/

How posture affects health

https://peperperspective.com/2019/07/01/dont-slouch-improves-health-with-posture-feedback/

https://peperperspective.com/2019/05/21/relieve-and-prevent-neck-stiffness-and-pain/

https://peperperspective.com/2017/11/28/posture-and-mood-implications-and-applications-to-health-and-therapy/

https://peperperspective.com/2019/01/23/head-position-it-matters/