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Discussion on: Caring for your Health as a Developer

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sebby profile image
Seb • Edited

Great post!

Here are a few more things that I like to do:

  • Use a standing desk. I have a standing desk attachment that can be raised to any height. This way I can alternate between standing and sitting. I find that too much static standing can also have negative effects.
  • I use a floor mat from this company called Topo, which reduces the strain on my legs while standing.
  • Use the f.lux app to reduce the amount of blue light emitted from the screen. On top of that I wear glasses by this company called Felix Gray that block blue light too.
  • Set the text in most apps to be much larger than the default. I find that most text on the web is too small and can strain the eyes over time.
  • Use this app called Speechify to speak out text that I select. This way I can listen to most of the stuff that I would otherwise have to read and use my eyes for. That's another good way to give a break to my eyes, plus over time I find that I can get through an article much faster by listening to it rather than reading. (Speechify lets you fine tune the reading speed, and I'm now used to having it pretty fast)
  • Use an mac app called Time Out that reminds me to give my eyes a 20 second break every 20 minutes. I also try to use that micro-break to move around a little bit and maybe do some air squats.
  • Limit distractions and context switching, so no email or notifications while I'm actively working.
  • When I need to be focused I like to play binaural beats instead of regular music. Helps put me in the zone.
  • Use the Colemak keyboard layout. That one was a steep learning curve, but it now pays dividends, saves me time and energy typing.
  • Turn off wifi and bluetooth and use the internet hard-wired instead. I use a wired keyboard and mouse to accommodate for the no bluetooth. It may sound woo-woo, especially to tech people, but there's more and more evidence that our current level of exposure to EMFs can have health consequences.
  • Try to spend some time outside everyday. I like to go out and read, and I make it a point to read from an actual printed book or from printed pages, again to give my eyes a break from screens. Time outside is also a good way to get some much needed vitamin D.
  • Try to meditate every day.
  • Try to watch learning videos while I eat instead of doing regular computer work. I noticed that if I try to work and eat at the same time, I'm not as mindful of my food and tend to eat too fast.
  • Use a good quality air filter in the room where I work. Some research has shown that indoor air quality can get much worse than the air quality from outdoors. The one I like to use is from this company called Molekule.
  • Work in a room that has lots of windows so that I can work under natural light conditions. Plus, it lifts my mood to see outside.

Most of these things I do are good for anyone working long hours on the computer (which is most people these days), and I'm always looking to find new ways to improve and incorporate new healthy habits into the mix.

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wangonya profile image
Kelvin Wangonya

Wow, great list! You should do this as a whole post in itself. Really nice tips here

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sebby profile image
Seb

Glad it's helpful! 😄 That's an interesting idea to do something like that as a post in itself, I'll think about potentially doing that!