"Repetitive Stress Injury" (RSI) includes all of common disorders which develop from the various repetitive physical and mental activities which overstress the various bodily functions involved in the process of interacting with computers for long periods of time. This includes : carpal tunnel syndrome (from typing), back and neck pain from extended periods sitting up at the computer, mental fatigue and eye strain from looking at the computer screen for extended periods. RSI has grown to EPIDEMIC proportions as the increase in the number of teleworkers continues climbing globally.
Although different people struggle with this issue to different degree, and with problems in differing combinations of specific body systems, a powerful first-line defense against developing RSI - and alleviating some of the more minor issues (before they evolve into serious ones which require more advanced therapeutic remedies) is to simply take regular breaks in the process of your telework routine. As much of these RSI issues results from CONTINUOUS stress to the various body parts/functions then it is only LOGICAL that taking properly scheduled short breaks away from these stressful work periods will have a significant effect on allowing the body to recover and become refreshed before returning to your tasks.
One EXTREMELY SIMPLE, yet POWERFUL, little (completely FREE) program which facilitates this scheduling of proper rest periods is WorkRave. What this program does is essentially act as a customizable TIMER which allows you to set two basic types of break periods (short micro-breaks and longer rest breaks) throughout your daily telework routine. You can also set a total daily time limit, and the program will inform you when you have reached your maximum daily computer if you have the need/desire to limit your overall use. I have personally found the "break period" functions to be most valuable, simply because I am such a computer junky that I am simply NOT able to limit my daily use. It's a "problem" I'm working on, but don't see a solution any time soon. Sometimes a "junky" just has to resign themselves to being a "junky".
Finally, for the longer type of "rest breaks" the program guides you through a series of basic, timed exercises which focus on common ergonomic issues faced by teleworkers (ex. shoulder stretches, neck turns, etc.) I plan to eventually create a whole SERIES on powerful ergonomic stretching/movement exercises to help teleworkers, and you are surely free to perform YOUR OWN individualize short exercises during the longer breaks prompted by this program.
In the "preferences" menu of the program you can fully customize the timer features of the different breaks, including the time period of the breaks, the time between breaks, the ability to display "skip break" and/or "postpone break" buttons (and the amount of time to postpone the breaks), etc.
All in all, for POWER of this program lies in its functionality. WorkRave is a good example of "positive automation" - that is, when the NON-HOMONID robots assist us "flesh covered HOMONID robots) in saving ourselves from ourselves. I;m sure that most people reading this will agree that as much as many of us TRY to take those helpful quick breaks away from the screen throughout our daily work routine, it's MUCH easier said than done. This program is VERY helpful in the regard. It's surprising how even just that 30-second "quicky" in which you get up and walk into the kitchen to refill your water glass, or teacup, can have a significant "refreshing" effect on all of those "parts" which are under consistent stress/use throughout your telework day.
If I can turn on JUST ONE new Steemian to this excellent gem of a program I will consider this post a success. Feel free to share your experience using this program, and/or suggest ADDITIONAL valuable programs you have used, related to this one, in your regular telework routine.
Good luck,
Excellent post, very well articulated. thank you so much.
Excellent post and program for those of us who work daily on computers. Sometimes we forget to eat and drink. We get caught up in what we are working on. This program gives us the remider that we need.
Yup, exactly! As I said, it "says us from ourselves". What's nice is that when the break pop-up comes up I feel relieved know that I WANTED - and KNEW I needed - to take that break, but now have the CONFIRMATION from the program that, "Hey bud, let's go take that break..." Genius in simplicity. Good luck.
lol....still some good ideas there
Nice article. Interesting observation that has got me thinking. Thanks