7 ways to be a healthier developer 1

As software developers or programmers, we find ourselves sitting at our desk for long periods of time working. Working at your desk for prolong period can cause long-term harm, but unfortunately you do not feel the effects until it is too late. One of the most dangerous long-term effect is RSI (Repetitive strain injury). You can easily find several horror stories online about how RSI cut short a software developer’s career.

Luckily, I have come across this topic early in my career. I realize how detrimental long-term work sessions can be for my future. So, I went to do some research into ways to prevent long-term harms for software developers or just anyone that works long sessions at their desk in general. Here are some precautions you can take:

Sit up and stop slouching

Poor posture over a long period of time leads to back pain and other serious back conditions. Do not lean forward, sink down into your chair, or rest your elbows on the desk since this creates unnecessary pressure on your back. Be sure to correct your posture regularly by sitting slightly reclined with your shoulders relaxed.

Set up your workspace to be ergonomic

You should make sure that your workspace is set up correctly. This includes your monitor, desk height, chair, mouse, and keyboard. It is a good idea to adjust your seating position relative to your workspace layout as it encourages good posture. Setting up your chair is the most important out of the rest.

Here is a diagram by Steve Meagher showing how an ergonomic workspace layout may look like.

Use ergonomic mouse and keyboard

There are many ergonomic mouse available nowadays. Some of them may look a little odd, but you will be surprised at how comfortable they are. Ergonomic mouse reduces the strain on your wrist. This becomes noticeable when you have to use a mouse a lot throughout the day.

There are also ergonomic keyboards available. They aim at reducing strain on your wrist by having the keyboard shape more natural to your hand. A problem with ergonomic keyboards is that they are usually larger than the normal full size keyboard.

Look away from your monitor

Staring at the computer screen for long periods will lead to tiredness, eyestrains, headaches and dry eyes. You should look away from the monitor ever few minutes. For example, you can look out the window or at a distant object in your surroundings. You can also adjust your monitor screen to eliminate reflection from light sources as much as possible.

Take regular breaks

Take a few minutes to relax by getting up, walking around and stretching. Taking a break will refresh you both physically and mentally. You should avoid the temptation to carry on with a feature that is “almost finish” or tracking that bug you have “almost fixed.” I am sure some of you can agree “almost” can easily turn into hours.

If you use the keyboard and mouse extensively, you should definitely consider using a break reminder program. I would recommend Workrave for the task as it is what I use personally. I have talked about Workrave before in how to use it to boost your productivity and prevent RSI.

Exercise

You should regularly get exercise. It does not have to be a lot, 15 to 30 minutes a day is enough. Something simple like a walk or a short run can have great long-term benefits for developers. Some benefits are:

• increase energy level throughout the day
• reduce stress
• reduce weight or maintain weight

I have started adding a jog or walk into my day a while back and since then I have been more energetic throughout the day. It was difficult at first, but after a few weeks, it just naturally fits into my life. Even on those long days of debugging, where you feel dead tired, I find a power walk to make me feel better afterwards.

Look after yourself before it is too late

As a developer or programmer, your career depends on you being able to use a computer. Therefore, you should pay attention to any discomfort, tension, or pain you may feel. RSI is not something to be taken likely if it can put a halt to some other developer’s career. Do not think computer-related conditions cannot happen to you and ignore the pain until it is too late.

This wraps up all the information I have come across looking into staying healthy as a developer so far.  If there are other things you can think of feel free to leave a comment.