Self care is a hot topic these days, and I’m not just talking about face masks. There is a growing movement that underscores the importance of taki...
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The Elbows. Particularly my left elbow. I keep my MacBook at a slight height and slope because I live in a VERY hot place and want to allow constant airflow under it (it really works to keep the inner temperature down). I also have a room fan constantly pointing to it and to my hands, which helps a lot with the heat for me as well. But my elbows are supporting the weight of my arms, and after a while they get red and painful.
The solution I found is keeping a microfiber cloth, folder over twice, to rest my elbows on. It’s soft and plushy and keeps my elbows from getting hurt. I also crocheted soft elbow covers (small versions of the ones used by skaters) so they are strapped on and keep a soft surface constantly under my elbows.
I’m not saying everybody will have the same issue, I’m saying that there might be an easy fix for some annoying or slightly painful thing you have going on. Maybe get a pillow for your back, or a stool to put your feet up on sometimes. Find out something you could add to your workstation that could help be more comfortable or avoid long term pain.
Great article and thanks, glad my article could help.😊
Btw its Sarthak 😃
Sorry about that! I just fixed your name :) Appreciate the inspiration!
Thanks 😊
If there's one thing I need to figure out about self-care it's how to carry a laptop bag with it killing my shoulder.
Get a laptop backpack! Preferably one that with straps that clip together in the front. All that weight can really wear on you over time. My wife attributes some of her scoliosis to a single-strap bag.
Yeah, Abe is entirely right! Just throw it away and get a regular backpack. Your health is way more important! I was also wearing messenger bags because loads seemed freaking ugly, but it caused incredible pain and even hip misalignment. So, I can't forgive myself for this stupidity. Anyways, backpacks are in style now, and you can find some really cool models for any purpose. I prefer leather rucksacks for everyday use, as they can survive any weather and are incredibly reliable. They're so comfortable to wear. Believe me, your shoulders will thank you later.
See also selfcare.tech/
I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend an ergonomic keyboard. It depends on you and your personal needs, of course, but a good starting point is probably something like the microsoft sculpt keyboard (fixed split and angles, rubber dome switches, wireless). I switched to it a few years ago and since then over a dozen devs + others at my company have tried it out and also made the switch. The other popular models seem to be from Kinesis, either the Advantage or Freestyle lines. I’m about to try out the Freestyle myself as I want more flexibility in the separation and angle of the two keyboard halves as well as better keycaps & (mechanical) switches. And of course there are more exotic options out there though you quickly start getting into niche solutions with correspondingly high price tags.
Could not agree more with this! I've been a full-time web developer for over 15 years, and always scoffed at the ridiculousness of ergonomic keyboards. But then a few years ago, I started struggling with chronic upper-back and chest pain, mostly from the "hunched," shoulders-forward position that laptops and standard keyboards encourage. It became debilitating enough that I seriously questioned whether I could even continue working with computers.
I tried a bunch of solutions (standing desk, massage, more frequent breaks, foam rolling, ice, heat, NSAIDs), but none helped as much as a split, ergonomic keyboard. I asked my company to purchase the Kinesis Freestyle 2 on a whim, hoping the huge split (up to 20") would help open up my chest and shoulder posture... and it totally has. That back pain and chest tightness have disappeared (not immediately, of course). Being able to "spread out" my upper body at the keyboard feels amazing.
It's probably not for everyone, though: it took me a while (like, months) to truly adapt to the split layout. I worked at it because I didn't really have a choice. I was never formally trained in keyboarding, so it was surprising how often my fingers wanted to "cheat" and wander over to the wrong side of the keyboard. It's noisy and mechanical and satisfyingly clickety-clackety (which I like, but not everyone does). It's also kind of ugly—or at least less pretty than the MacBook Pro it's controlling. But even with those caveats, I recommend it as strongly as possible.
kinesis-ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-f...
(And yeah, I know this sounds like stealth marketing. But I promise I'm not getting paid by Kinesis... I just love this keyboard! I feel like it helped save my career.)
Love this post!
Here's my addition:
Take a Day Off
I don't know if this is a problem for all everyone here, but for me, between work, online tutorials, and side projects, it's easy to let programming consume large chunks of my 'off time', including weekends and holidays.
I've found that forcing myself to take one day a week completely off from all forms of coding helps me avoid burn out, and get back into the grind the next day with more focus and energy.
So I try my best to take every Sunday off and give myself some much needed r&r
Thanks for this article. Really useful.
I also loved the Marinara. But, can anyone explain me Pomodoro technique like I'm five. I read some articles about it. But I couldn't imagine a real scenario.
You split your work in tasks you can do within 25 minutes.
Start with the first task.
After 25 minutes you take a 5 minutes break.
Repeat.
Every 4 tasks you take a 20 minutes break.
Thank you. I'll try this at work :)
Seems like I rest on my elbows a lot until they go numb. To add to an ergo keyboard is a soft keyboard mat. Simple but effective.
Nice post , really helpful
What???? For sure the best framework and non framework is Svelte.js
Forgot others, you only need html, JavaScript and css...
Thanks for the tips in this article. Really helpful
Good Stuffs!
I would like to emphasize 'eye care'. Most of us don't realize just how much eye strain can affect our lives -from tired-ness to appetite to sleep; it's a domino effect.
Hand stretches! Awesome, thanks for that!
I bought some photophobic glasses. They're expensive but I no longer have a problem with the fluorescent lights where I do most of my coding.
Nice Article 😀.
Most of the people ignore these things but they do need to make these changes.
I use 1 minute naps if I get stressed, some calming music and then I close my eyes while at my desk.
It’s a really nice reset switch. :)
Great post! I'll try all of these at work.
Anecdotally, standing for part of the day has helped me with the tight hip flexors, weakened lower abdominal muscles, and pelvic tilt that resulted from previously sitting all day.
Plants! I love 'em and they make me very happy. That coupled with a few stretch breaks does wonder to dealing with those pesky bugs 😊
Great article, thanks.
For terminal customization take a look at ohmyzsh too