My Experience with Avoiding Computer Fatigue
Published: 2021-03-21 19:45:59

#What is special about "Computer Fatigue?"
What I mean by "Computer Fatigue" is the exhaustion - mentally and physically - from having too long of an interaction with working from your computer. In the wake of COVID-19 this may be more applicable than ever and I can only surmise it will only affect more and more people. You may think of working at a computer as "the cushy office job" but there's a very real, but very similar kind of exhaustion (when compared to, say, a laborer) that comes from endless hours of screen time. Body strain and degradation, mental tiredness, unhealthy sleeping. These are all things that are very real and just as easy to avoid as lifting with your legs or looking both ways before crossing the street.

#A healthy work environment
This my be obvious to some but it certainly was not for me. As a gamer, I can sometimes...neglect the sanctity that is my desk space. A plate of food, a bag of chips, figurines off to the side, cables every which-way. All of this takes up physical space as well as headspace. And while I may not need the ambient feeling of cleanliness to make big plays as Mercy, healing McCree from around a corner for the 40th time it's definitely required for me to feel like I'm in a working environment. So, removing all my decorative items and keeping my things down to a pleasant cup of coffee was what I felt like I needed to get my head in the working mood.

#Computer setup
It's important to understand that, while it's true that being able to see more of your work at a glance is important, you can efficiently work with only one screen. The trick, I found, that works for me is keeping the program I'm working in (for instance, a Jupyter notebook) take up half the screen and off set it to the side of the screen that is most comfortable. This is the bulk of my work so it take up the bulk of my screen. Then, whatever else I need open on the rest of the screen will share what's left. This may seem obvious but I say this for those who may default to minimizing their programs one at a time and maximizing those as needed. Again, **the more information you have at a glance, the less extra work you'll need to spend time on.** The little things add up.

#Keep your body healthy
This is the single most important part about setting yourself up for success. A clean mind and energized body makes for a productive time. Make it a point to get at least 8 hours of sleep. There is no "I function better on 6 hours of sleep." That's just statistically [not true](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need). I struggled with this, dearly. In addition...eat well. A healthy diet has everything to do with how much energy you have. I'm not saying give up the things you love to eat. Eat a pizza if you wanna. Pizza is amazing. But don't let that be your only source of energy. Balance the good foods with the bad foods. 

And lastly, keeping your body physically unstrained is extremely important. Sit up straight. Don't hurt your back because of sitting. **If you can't sit then you can't work.** Not just that but take breaks. Stand up, lay on the couch a bit. Turn off for a little while. If you're an awkward typer then maybe spend some time developing good typing habit with a basic "learn to type" game. Screw it! Why *not* have some fun with it?

#Take care of your eyes
This goes hand in hand with the above segment but I found this contributes the most to my fatigue...Take. Care. Of. Your. Eyes. The bright screen can be a lot to handle staring at all day but there are ways that I've found to mitigate this to a major extent and I do these every day.
- Open the blinds or turn on a light: Don't let your screen light be the *only* light. The stark contrast between your dark room and your bright screen can be hard on your eyes.
- Take regular breaks: Look at something else for a while. It can be as simple as getting a snack for a bit and returning after but you may realize after a while that your eyes are dry and you probably haven't blinked as often as maybe should.
- Wear some blue-light blocking glasses: Wouldn't it be great to avoid the eye strain all together? That's what blue light eliminating glasses do for me. This is totally dependent on the person as not everyone I know experiences the benefits of blue-light blocking glasses. They may even be out of your budget, especially if you get them from your optometrist. However, I found they have been extremely worth it. At the end of a 12 hour computer binge I have noticed that I no longer feel "strain" from my eyes. The feeling has changed and the best way I can describe is "naturally tired."

#My conclusion
Setting yourself up to not be too tired to work is just the same as any other job. From laborer to CEO, a healthy body, mind, and work environment is pivotal for success. You just simply can't do what you need to do if your body doesn't have the energy for it. Do what you have to do to get your battle station in order and be healthy about how you live.