As a person doing a primarily sitting type of job I am sure you will relate to some of the following health issues:

• eye strain
• lower back pain
• wrist pain
• headaches
• reduced mobility
• trouble falling asleep
• etc.

Depending on which part of the world you live in, office working conditions may or may not be viewed as a contributor to these things. I am lucky to be part of a society where these things matter and people are conscientious about their health.

Additionally, being a developer 10x-es the experiences that you might have as the job that we exercise daily requires great amount of concentration and mental capacity. If you are like me then you are always looking for a way to enhance yourself by studying and applying practises that will benefit your work and life in the long run. I would like to share with you the routines and actions and that I have adopted to address the aforementioned ailments.

Eye Strain

Let us start with the elephant in the room - eye strain. The fixed distance that a person stays at with respect to the screen for prolonged hours can cause eye strain. With days when I spend 8 hours in the office, commute home and continue staring at the screen due to a side project or what have you - I can totally relate. On such days I feel like my eyes become swollen and even though there is nothing that visually suggests that, I know that I have overdone it.

My way of coping with this is the 20/20/20 rule. It stands for every 20 minutes look 20 meters away for 20 seconds. I would say that these numbers are a guideline. Generally speaking the more time you do - the better. This I believe has stuck since it is easy to remember. It is also easy to implement as a habit. All you need is an app that will remind you every time the period you choose is up and a vantage point to an object that is further away.

The advantages of this practise are great as your eyes get to focus on a something that is at a greater distance sometimes, allowing your eyes to relax. On the other hand this can be a bit disturbing to people that like to allocate long stretches of concentrated work time. Simply put - it is best if one can break down their work into smaller increments. There is a tradeoff, for sure. Of course, you can always combine your break with a short walk to the kitchen for a tea/coffee/water.

Lower back pain

Some years ago I leaned down to tie my show, and I felt this pulling motion in my thigh. Subsequently, the pain moved to my lower back. That got me concerned, and I went to a physiotherapist. He discovered that my piriformis was rather tight from the prolonged hours of sitting on a soft and uncomfortable chair at work. What is a piriformis and what treatment did I receive? The physician showed me several stretches and asked me to perform them until the muscle become more loose and I no longer felt discomfort. The first three videos found here are exercises I have done - and still do each morning.

Wrist pain

What about wrist pain you ask? As a person that is in pursuit of an unsupported handstand I will tell you that there are many exercises you can do to help relieve and prevent pain in your wrists in the future. This is something you can do during the day or before going to work.

Trouble falling asleep

This can be an outcome of many things among which work-related stress, smartphone blue light and general long stretches of screen time. I combat this with a short morning meditation - breathing with my eyes closed for 10 minutes - blue filters on my phone and laptop as well as a no screen time 30 minutes before bed policy.

Reduced mobility

Again quite a topic in itself. The reasons for not being able to move properly can be many yet one thing is for sure - just because you are working in front of the computer doesn’t mean that you should neglect your body. It - just like your brain - requires stimulus to keep operating at the level you need it to. Stretching, yoga, running, weightlifting, bodyweight exercises or simple walks are necessary to counteract the sedentary working life we all have. Also short routines that help the body wake up in the morning seem to be favorable amongst many people in our field as they to “prepare” you for the day ahead. They also give you a sense of accomplishment early in the day, so you feel empowered to face bigger challenges as they come.

These are some things I can suggest to anyone out there that wants to be more productive, focused and pain-free at their desk during those long stretches of sitting in front of the computer.