You’re back from a long day at the office and life sucks. Your back hurts, your wrists feel like stiff, numb boards of wood, and your eyes feel like they’re just about ready to pop out of your skull.  As an added bonus, you can’t move your neck without sharp pain shooting through your body.

Computers are great, but the health problems that can arise as a result of over-excessive computer use isn’t.

Here’s a few of the most common symptoms you might come across, and some tips and tricks regarding how to avoid or, at the very least, mitigate them.

Back Pain: 

Think about how you’re sitting at your desk. Do you have to hunch over your system? Are you sitting straight-backed, or sitting in any way other than straight-backed? How comfortable is your chair? How well is it suited for you?

All of these need to be taken into consideration. You need to sit in a position that’s comfortable for you, while at the same time doesn’t put too much strain on your lower back. Spending all day cross-legged or hunched down are surefire paths to a bad back.

You can check out this post about standing desks that PCMech’s founder, David Risley, wrote over on his personal blog.

Neck Pain:

Keep your head straight and don’t look around too much. Think about the height of your screen – same as with back problems. If you have to spend the day looking down or up, this could end up causing a great deal of tension, ultimately damaging your muscles and you don’t want that.  And for the love of god, don’t try to talk on the phone by holding it on your shoulder.

Wrist and Hand Pain: 

Again, the height of your chair is key here, as is your posture. Don’t rest your hands on your keyboard – they should be raised just slightly as you type. Make sure your shoulder, elbow, and wrist form an “L” when you type. And don’t be afraid to take a break every now and then. If your wrist/fingers start to feel strange, step back from the computer for a few moments and take a break.

Eye Strain: 

Look at the lighting in the room and look at your screen. What’s the resolution? Do you have to squint or focus overmuch to see everything on the screen? If you do, change it.

Is there glare on your screen? Find the source and eliminate it if possible.

How close are you to the screen? If your face is buried in your monitor, you have a problem.

If all else fails, you may well need glasses or an updated prescription. Look into it.

Headaches/Fatigue: 

I suffer from this quite a bit though they usually don’t manifest until after I’ve finished writing something. Don’t forget to eat, and keep yourself well-hydrated.

Don’t be me – take regular breaks while on your machine. If you start to feel ‘fuzzy’ or ‘faint,’ no one’s going to fault you if you go grab a drink or a snack. After all, it’s better if you take five minutes to get yourself back on track than it is for you to waste thirty minutes in a half-aware funk.

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