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If you have insurance, no reason not to get a doc's advice. That said, I have been using the workrave app for about 5 years now and I think it has saved me from significant deterioration. It has both 'nix and Windows implementations. Basically reminds you to take a micro break every 5 minutes and a coffee break every ten. I manage to keep working during these breaks. Usually it is a phone call or a convo with the boss or a colleague. And you can always count on a meeting as a good opportunity for a break.

Best piece of nagware out there IMHO.

Sounds like a neat idea. If you were actually getting a new coffee every 10 minutes you would probably approach a lethal dose pretty quick though :)

If you have insurance, no reason not to get a doc's advice. That said, I have been using the workrave app for about 5 years now and I think it has saved me from significant deterioration. It has both 'nix and Windows implementations. Basically reminds you to take a micro break every 5 minutes and a coffee break every ten. I manage to keep working during these breaks. Usually it is a phone call or a convo with the boss or a colleague. And you can always count on a meeting as a good opportunity for a break.

Best piece of nagware out there IMHO.

I think we're agreeing, sort of.

I think this is what you think I said: Put your arms parallel to the desk (30") and then put your keyboard at 25", meaning your arms will be inclined downwards.

Actually I say: Put your arms parallel to the keyboard tray (25" is good). So yeah, like you say, they would also be parallel to the ground. But the desk itself should be higher. The reason is you don't want your displays (whether it's your laptop or external monitor) to be too low. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for neck problems, bending your neck down constantly.

I have experienced extended bouts of severe pain two times over a decade. I had experimented with a lot of poses, including "classic typing" position, which I believe is the piano position. But all that, including different types of expensive chairs, were for naught.

Just getting a low chair, one that allows your feet to remain truly flat on the floor (as opposed to just your toes touching), is the best thing you can do.

While getting up every X minutes is a good idea (use WorkRave), if your sitting position is fundamentally non-broken, you won't find as much need to.

workrave has been my companion for years now.
It's great, when I use it, but there are times (often) when i'm too absorbed in whatever I am doing to let it distract me.

But the times i'm paying attention, it's a noticable productivity boost and my bones feel better.

My setup:
20 second pause every 20 mins
7,5 min pause every hour
8h max per day (go figure)

What are you talking about? Good on you for having great health.

Meanwhile plenty of geeks suffer from computer-related health problems. The most common up to now has been carpal tunnel or repetitive stress syndrome.

The advent of touchscreens means people are bending their necks downward for extended periods. For many/most it may not be a problem.

For others, it can result in cervical spondylosis, a debilitating condition of the neck.

The reason for such articles is to encourage people to take preventive measures. One of the best is Workrave, a break reminder program for Win and Lin. Click to install. (Deb/Ub/Mint)

http://www.workrave.org/

Set it to remind you to take a break every X minutes. Open source for Win and Lin.

Click here to install in Ubuntu/Debian/Mint.

Try workrave, it reminds you to take breaks and stretch...
Also it can set daily limits of computer activity...

And you can also network it if you use multiple computers at the same time..

http://www.workrave.org/

http://www.workrave.org/
For all your Open Source RSI prevention needs (out of luck if you're using a Mac, but if the Australian Tax Office is using Macs, the cause of the RSI might be self evident then).

Apparently the ATO can't use Google and instead likes to outsource such incredible research (and possibly custom software).
Workrave.
Ugh. Tax dollars hard at work.
End thread.

Works great.

It's available for Win and Lin.

You can set times for mini-breaks and full breaks separately. Full breaks lead you through a configurable series of animated exercises.

I can vouch that they really do work if you do them diligently.

It allows you to (configurably) cancel or postpone a break, but it's geared toward locking the screen so you you're less tempted to skip breaks. You can even set a max time on the computer per day plus log work/breaks on the network.

Click here to install in Debian/Ubuntu/Mint

First off, get and install workrave. It's a GPL program that works on MS windows and Linux. It will time and prompt for micro- and macro- breaks, which are key to recovering from RSI, and preventing RSI from developing/degrading. Micro- and macro-breaks are important for everyone.

Second, always use an external pointing device. It could be a mouse, trackball, or wacom tablet. When you work, set them up on the desk at the proper height so your forearms are flat and level to the floor, and supported by and armrest.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained ergonomist. I am sharing with you the general advice that professional ergonomists have given me, and that has helped me significantly.

apt-get install workrave

Talking about "look aways" (forced/suggested by hardware/software), I've lately been enlightened by an article on FSM ( http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/workrave_combating_rsi_free_software_way ) about WorkRave ( http://www.workrave.org/ ), a tiny OSS utility that was created thinking of RSI, but can be configured for almost any need...

I've installed it here in the company I work for, and now they all like it very much...

Give it a try!
P.

I've found that I use the escape key an average of 2983742 times per day.

I've already told you a million times to stop exaggerating...

Now for some actual numbers, I normally have between 10000 and 15000 keystrokes on a day at work, sometimes up till 20000. I know this because I use a program to forc^H^H^H^Hremind me to take breaks. This program monitors keyboard and mouse activity to determine appropriate rest times and as a bonus keeps historic statistics. At the end of May I finished my master thesis and when panic mode was in full effect the last Sunday (to be delivered on Monday) I had over 60000 (the maximum before that was "just" above 30000).

# aptitude install workrave

http://www.workrave.org/

I use WorkRave to force myself to take regular breaks and get my "10 to 12 seconds" of wrist relief.

The program can be a real pain when it's getting late and I'm rushing to meet a deadline--but this is where I need it most... You can configure "micro-breaks" as described above, longer rest breaks and even a daily limit. And the program is smart enough to only calculate the time you are actually on the system.

Try it out--it's free software and has Linux and windows versions available for download.

I use WorkRave to force myself to take regular breaks and get my "10 to 12 seconds" of wrist relief.

The program can be a real pain when it's getting late and I'm rushing to meet a deadline--but this is where I need it most... You can configure "micro-breaks" as described above, longer rest breaks and even a daily limit. And the program is smart enough to only calculate the time you are actually on the system.

Try it out--it's free software and has Linux and windows versions available for download.

Why don't you just apt-get install workrave?

Workrave

I have workrave running on my computer. It's great!

Rather than critiquing lifestyle decisions or offering great advice like, "See an eye doctor," here's something useful. (Read the whole post to get the good stuff.)

Take frequent breaks. Duh, sounds like a no-brainer, right? It is a no-brainer, but the problem is that most of us aren't good about actually DOING the right thing. (Kinda like new year's resolutions like "Work Out Regularly.")

A big reason that people heavy computer users experience vision degeneration is because we spend all day staring at a fixed depth and relatively fixed focal point. Taking a break allows the muscles that shape the lenses in our orbs to flex the lenses differently. If you spend long hours every day in front of the screen and don't take breaks, you increase the likelihood of permanently altering the lenses to be less flexible - often resulting in near-sightedness.

The absolute best thing to do to rest your eyes is a practice called "cupping" where you rub your hands together to warm them up, then completely cover your eyes. Leave your eyes open and let them really relax. Cupping is actually more relaxing for your eyes than closing them because you let all of the muscles in your eye socket relax.

Great, you know why you should take breaks, and what to do during the break, but you're so hardcore and intense that you loose track of time and whole weeks go by where you forget to eat/sleep/etc. What's the answer? You need a program that will remind you take breaks. Enter Workrave (http://www.workrave.org/). This fantastic piece of software "frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit." It's really a great tool and the key to using it is to set the frequencies and durations such that they're useful AND YOU TAKE THE BREAKS. If you're on a Mac, do a search and see if there's something similar and if not, get something that will remind you to take breaks.

I recommend having micro-breaks every 5 minutes and cupping your eyes at least 1/2 of the micro-breaks you take. After a few days of this, you'll be able to feel the decrease in eyestrain after intense sessions and you'll probably have less headaches if you were prone to them. There's no guarantee this will fix your vision problems, but it will definitely mitigate future deterioration.

I've been using workrave (FOSS) - it has helped me not only recover, but keep my energy level up.

I have it set to a 30 second break every 15 minutes, and a 10 minute break every 50 minutes. I use the 30 second breaks to stand up and stretch, and the 10 minute breaks to go for a walk and otherwise stretch and breath.

The breaks can unfortunately be snacking cues, but I try to avoid that.

I switched to ',.pyf, er I mean Dvorak, earlier this year. I used to get the odd twinge in both limbs. I was never a touch-typist, always have to look at the keys now & then. I resisted the change for a long time, fearing it would be too much effort. It took about 2-3 weeks to get comfortable with the new layout. I was very surprised. I was helped by being able to modify a keyboard so I could continue to look at the keys (by swapping keys round). Remember that this won't be possible on a lot of keyboards, due to the different curves that each row has. Switching back to the old format can be a pain (not literally), eg on server kbs at work & so on, I find myself looking in the Dvorak position. For me it does become "hunt & poke". But it's not too much of a problem. I'd certainly recommend it for English-typists who get pains. Also it keeps QWERTY idiots off your box :)

One downer is the keyboard shortcuts, so if you're heavily into your vi etc you will need to think carefully. Maybe you can get modified versions. The ctrl-x/c/v combo in Windows was binned straightaway, I've now got used to QuickBasic's good old ctrl-ins/shift-ins. Also, being British is a disadvantage, since I can only get an American layout. Therefore hash/pound/quote/@ etc are all messed up, and UKP/libra/£ can now only be found on alt+156 (Lord knows where in *nix)

Yes it made a difference, since I switched I've had barely a twinge. However I do use Workrave, anybody with RSI simply has to use this or something similar. However I've been using that for a couple of years, and the twinges only went away after deploying Dvorak.

Have you seen the project "Workrave". It encourages you to take a break, and gives you exercises so that you don't get too stiff.

For a simple fix try Workrave. It's primary use is to prevent RSI, however it also works to prevent stress on the eyes. It has a spiffy popup list of streching exercises and eye exercises to do at your desk.

Workrave

Workrave

bought an LCD monitor

Black background on vi

proper eye level w/monitor

parabolic lenses in work environment (just lucky to have that - reduces excess light from across the room)
Good luck,
Eric

Workrave

bought an LCD monitor

Black background on vi

proper eye level w/monitor

parabolic lenses in work environment (just lucky to have that - reduces excess light from across the room)
Good luck,
Eric

Just imagine the looks from the poor chap happily clocking up some mouse-miles when a bunch of governmentt health officials knock down his door demanding that he "TAKE A MICROPAUSE RIGHT NOW!"
--
Workrave - Helps relieve the strain on your wrists without straining your wallet.

I've also have dealt with pretty bad eye strain. I'd work 8 hours a day on the computer, then go home and go another 2-3 each night.

www.workrave.org is a free (Linux/Windows) program that I really like. It has you take regular "micro" breaks and even has images showing simple exercises to perform every hour or so.

Workrave along with an LCD monitor at work has helped me tons.

EP

First of all, I can't say anything about the insurance side, and such, since that is all rather different in my part of the world.

Last year, I finally had to admit that I was having too many pain problems in my arms. Both the company doctor and my "own" gp came to the same diagnosis: CTS in my right wrist and bursitis in my left shoulder.

First thing the company doctor had me do, was take rest - staying at home. While that helped for short terms, it also meant that I got less resistance against pain, meaning that the pain came back and got worse quicker, whenever I tried to do even the smallest thing. (Gotta love having to clean the kitchen, when you just dropped your food, cause it hurt too much and the arm is too weak!)

We then went for three months of therapy.

This therapy consisted of three parts:

• 90 minutes of exercises, three days a week, building up strength and resistance to pain. They consisted mostly of the usual mixture of cardio and physical exercises, but with a smaller group of people than normally in a sports school, and with a physio therapist looking after us all the time.
• A number of talks with a psycho therapist, giving one a chance to talk about possible stressful situations at work - or elsewhere - that can have a very negative influence on ones health.
• Four visits to my own workplace by another physio therapist, to verify the working situation and suggest changes (that were, thankfully, implemented by my employer).

During those three months, I slowly started working more hours again. From 0 hours a week when I started, to 30 hours a week by the end. This process went on during the period after those three months, till I was back to my normal 40 hours a week, about two months later.

Am I completely healthy again? Yes, sorta...

Yes, I can do my job again normally, and I do not have any pains whatsoever in my arms. But I have to make sure, even better than before, that I take regular breaks away from the computer.

For that my employer uses a program called WorkPace which, when set up correctly, forces one into a better "break rhythm". At first, being interrupted by micropauses and restbreaks, but it sure helps!

There are other programs that offer comparable functions, like the excellent open source (GNU GPL) program Workrave, which I use at home.

Grtz,

Frodo

Workrave is also a good alternative. For some reason xwrits doesn't really work with my chosen window manager, Ion -- it doesn't force breaks properly. So I tried workrave, and have not looked back since.