The Four Hour Workweek recommendation

One of the things I like to promote is learning time efficiency and increased productivity. If we can get more things done and stay focused to complete these tasks, we can have more free time, away from the computer enjoying a healthy worklife balance.

There is a fantastic book called “The Four Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferris. There are some wonderful tips and tools that are very innovative for today's work world and vast worldwide network.

 Here is something from the book that I really like:


Anything that prevents the start to finish completion of a critical task are considered principal interruptions:
1. Time wasters: those things that can be ignored with little or nor consequence. Common time wasters include meetings, discussions, phone calls, web surfing, and e-mail that are unimportant.

2. Time consumers: repetitive tasks or requests that need to be completed but often interrupt high-level work. Here are a few you might know intimately: reading and responding to e-mail, making and returning phone calls, customer service (order status, product assistance etc.), financial or sales reporting, personal errands, all necessary repeated actions and tasks.

3. Empowerment failures: instances where someone needs approval to make something happen. Here are just a few: fixing customer problems (lost shipments, damaged shipments, malfunctions etc.), customer contact, cash expenditures of all types.

Here is a look at a prescription for number one: (I have edited a little bit, and encourage you to buy the book!)

First, limit e-mail consumption and production. This is the great single interruption of the modern world.
Turn off the audible alert if you have one on Outlook or a similar program and turn off automatic send and receive, which delivers e-mail to your inbox as soon as someone sends them.

Check your e-mail twice per day, once at noon or just prior to lunch, and again at 4 PM. 12 PM and 4 PM are times that ensure you'll have the most responses from previously sent e-mails. Never check e-mail first thing in the morning. Instead, complete your most important task before 11 AM, to avoid using lunch or reading e-mail as a postponement excuse.

Before implementing the twice-daily routine, create an e-mail auto response that will train your boss, coworkers, suppliers and clients to be more effective. Speak with your immediate supervisor propose a trial to the approach for one to three days.

A sample might look like this:

Greetings friends,

Due to high workload, I am currently checking and responding to e-mail twice daily at 12 PM Mountain and 4 PM mountain.

If you require urgent assistance that cannot wait until either 12 PM or 4 PM, please contact me via phone at–––––.

Thank you for your understanding this move to more efficiency and effectiveness. It helps me accomplish more to serve you better.

Sincerely,
Your name here

 For more tips, please check out this book, again it is a fantastic tool chocked full of tips and tricks!

Be good to yourself at the computer!

Sitting at the computer all day is just not healthy for our bodies. We were never meant to sit in front of computers for eight hours or more a day. Recognize that we all need to take responsibility for ensuring good health while working. We can do this by eating well, having a proper workstation that supports our body, drinking plenty of water, taking breaks throughout our day and throughout each hour, stretching our bodies, hands, arms, fingers, back, neck, looking away from the computer screen, becoming productive at work and saving time at the computer, and simply being good to ourselves in this way! After all, we only have one body and it helps support us with all of the things that we do each day including work :-)

Reminder: mix up the tools that you use at the computer

Recently there was a question about using a type of mouse that engages the usage of the thumb and if this tool would be helpful to prevent the various repetitive strain injuries.

It is important to recognize that we are still repeating the same motion, maybe utilizing different muscles, but still supporting micro-traumas to muscles and tissues in a new position—in this example using the thumb!

In my own experience, my thumb and the muscle in my palm  right below the thumb became extremely damaged and almost unusable due to using a simple mouse that came with my computer.

To support oneself fully, mix up all of the tools that you are using on a daily basis ensuring different muscles are being utilized throughout the day. Better yet, to learn a Dictate program such as Dragon Dictate found on nuance.com  giving you an incredible opportunity to become hands-free —or balance this usage in tandem with more limited mouse usage.

It is also important to take micro-breaks consistently within an hour. Alpine Physical Therapy recommends taking a 20 second break every 20 min.  to do something for yourself, whether it is a deep breath, or implementing stretching or getting up from your computer.

Try these tips throughout the day!* Reference: End carpal tunnel without surgery, Kate Montgomery

•Hand  circles
• Fist  clinches
• Wrist bends
• Finger bends
• Finger rotations
• Finger pulls
• Handshakes
• Finger spread
• Finger palm touch
• Finger thumb touch
• Finger joint bends
• Finger pinch
ª Palm rub

Also implement the usage of this program called RSIguard.com  available for free download for 45 days that will help you to exercise and remind you to take these breaks!

Telephone tip

If you spend a lot of time talking on the phone to clients and customers, it is best to use a headset or Bluetooth device so that you are not having to hold the phone for long periods and to ensure  you are not 'kinking' your neck by holding yourself in an awkward position.

Computer-related RSI

Computer-related repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a potentially debilitating condition that occurs from overusing the hands and arms to perform repetitive tasks, such as typing, writing, or clicking and moving a mouse. These repeated physical movements can damage the tendons, nerves, muscles and other soft body tissues. Anyone using a computer on a daily basis should be informed about RSI. Today we're seeing an epidemic of injuries to the hands, arms and shoulders. The countless and ceaseless repetition of keystrokes as well as the clicking and dragging of the mouse and other pointing devices accumulates damage to the body. This can happen with stress, fatigue and pressure job demands, which can result in career loss.

Ergowellness is happy to provide you with the help you need to ensure healthy computing!

12 tips for an ergonomic workstation

It is important to have a good ergonomic set up, but also to recognize that we need to keep our bodies moving and changing positions often. Healthy computing means more than setting up a good workstation, but also taking good care of your overall health with proper nutrition, exercise, and work life balance.

Below are some general tips and recommendations for a proper ergonomic setup:

1.Top of monitor at or below eye level
2. Monitor and keyboard centered in front of you
3. No glare on screen
4. Documents in line with keyboard and monitor
5.  Negative tilt keyboard support  or, better yet, learn Dragon Dictate to mix it up! Nuance.com
6. Wrists  are flat and straight, neutral position
7. Arms and elbows close to body, relaxed
8. Change postures often
9. Download RSIguard.com
10. Take frequent short breaks
11. Feet flat on the floor or foot rest
12. Know the warning signs of burning and tingling and pain, get help early!

Laptop precautions

Remembering back, I didn't start having many problems until I switched to a laptop. With this transition from a stationary computer to a laptop, I became more mobile, yet working at a laptop made my work completely ergonomically incorrect. Awkward and static postures while keyboarding was certainly a key factor leading up to the challenges I experienced with arm and hand symptoms.
If you are determined to do the majority of your work on a laptop, consider purchasing a nice big screen that can be hooked up to your laptop. Arrange the screen so that it is slightly below eye level. This will ensure you're not hunched forward while working, which would otherwise occur while working a small laptop screens. Ultimately, this will help you keep good posture and promote optimal health and well-being at the computer.

Micro-traumas to muscles

When we are repeating the same movements throughout our day we are causing micro traumas to muscles. This is why it's important to get moving and take breaks from what were doing with our hands and our arms. Treat yourself to a nice desk, a comfortable chair that fits you specifically, keep things within easy reach. Make sure everything is at eye level. Be sure to have your shoulders relaxed and at 90° :-) we would love to come and do a computer workstation evaluation with you, and customize your work setting and work life habits to you specifically. In this way, you can be sure to be taking good care of yourself  and prevent any repetitive strain injuries,  as well as increase your efficiency and productivity.

RSI

What is RSI?
Repetitive strain injuries occur from repeated physical movements doing damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. Occupations ranging from meatpackers to musicians have characteristic RSIs that can result from typical tasks they perform. The rise of computer use and flat, light touch keyboards that permit high-speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. Use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause, if not more so. The thousands of repeated keystrokes or long periods of clicking and dragging with mice slowly accumulates damage to the body: another name for the condition is cumulative trauma disorder. This can happen even more quickly as a result of typing technique and body positions that place unnecessary stress on the tendons and nerves in the hand rest arms and even shoulders and neck. Lack of adequate rest and breaks and using excessive force almost guarantee trouble.

Symptoms:
Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
Tingling, coldness or numbness in the hands
Clumsiness or loss of strength in coordination in the hands
Pain that wakes you up at night
Feeling a need to massage your hands, wrists and arms
Pain in upper back, shoulders, or neck associated with using the computer

Reference: Paul Marxhausen  website: http://eeshop.unl.edu/rsi.html

Try not to hunch

 It is good not to hunch over your computer, rolling your shoulders forward. Sit tall with good posture. Ear, shoulder, hip, all in good alignment. This will help avoid pinched nerves over time.

MacSpeech upgrade: Dragon Dictate

MacSpeech is now Dragon Dictate! There has been a tremendous upgrade that makes this program even more great than it was!

Now experience completely hands-free computing without ever having to touch a mouse again!

A fabulous new edition to the program adds a feature so that you can command the mouse to move, click, drag, select etc. all with your voice.

Save your hands now, sit back and enjoy the pleasure of mouse   free computing!

Available for PC and Macintosh.

www.nuance.com

Practicalities

Your computer screen should be slightly below eye level.

Your mouse and your keyboard should be beside each other and allow for your shoulders to be at 90°.

Have a beautiful day!

Yoga and Green smoothies

Ok, I am going to push for drinking green smoothies full of nutrition and a fantastic blender called Blendtec, found at blendtec.com.
Try this:
1/2 of an apple
handful of Kale or chard
stick of celery
cucumber slices (a few)
Almond milk to taste
1 cup water
pinch of ginger

Experiment!

Keep the body stretched and limber, try Hot HouseYoga at hothouseyogaonline.com, 127 N. Higgins, Suite 9. Or the Bikram school of India, 211 N. Higgins, Suite 403, bikrammissoula.com.

Keeping healthy, while implementing proper ergonomics and micro breaks!
Keep things in easy reach at your desk, mouse level with keyboard.

Choose to take a break

When under stress and deadlines, make breaks a priority. We need to understand the crucial importance of taking good care of our bodies while we are working at the computer. This is something to be taken very seriously, RSI injuries can be life changing! Often times, we believe that we need to keep pushing and going, even if we are beginning to feel sore and tired. We need to ask questions like: What will happen if I stop? Does the client really need this right now? (For students: If I don’t finish my project, will I fail? Are there alternatives that I can make? Can I speak with my professor?) Will the world stop if I take a break for 20 seconds? Will the world stop if I get up and take a break for five minutes? If the client misses the deadline will I lose my job? Is my boss going to fire me? (For students: Will I be kicked out of school?) What happens if I don’t have any money? What is the worst-case scenario? What are my choices? Who gets to choose? What is more important? Do I need my body for the rest of my life? Do I want to be debilitated? What can I put into place to help support my body? What is the most important thing to me? What are the possibilities in life? Am I limiting myself? Who is leading my life? How do I want to contribute to my family, community, work, world? What are my gifts? Am I utilizing my time effectively? Do I want to stay healthy and well? How can I balance everything to ensure my well-being? What can I do right now, today, to be ergonomically correct and to implement breaks?

Get moving :-)

Let's get moving! When seated at a computer it is important to have good posture and feel totally relaxed in our shoulders.  Keep things within easy reach. Keep your mouse close to your keyboard. Make sure your keyboard is not positioned up to high, so the shoulders can relax. Purchase a wonderful chair that fits your body. Try alternative chairs such as the "Hag",  (found Office Solutions in Missoula, MT) in which you actually straddle this chair and position body weight forward with your chest open, thus opening the shoulders and back.) Try sitting on an exercise ball or Dyna disk  to increase core strength (reference, Lambert Family Chiropractic, Missoulachiropractic.com)  Remember to get up from your computer often!

Did you know?

Wow!
According to Google Keyword Search (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) Missoula searches for relief of Carpal Tunnel 27,100 times per month, 22,200 per month for Repetitive Strain Injury and wants to know what exercises to do for Carpal Tunnel 9,900 times per month! Ergowellness in combination with Alpine Physical Therapy can help! Get up from that computer! Stretch your body, hands, fingers, shoulders, neck and back! Take micro-breaks all throughout your day Misssoula!

Nutrition and water

Support your body with proper nutrition and drink plenty of water. We should all be drinking half of our body weight in water per day. If we have water by our side while computing, this will help support us in getting up to get more water and going to the bathroom! Every break, no matter what it is is a support to our well-being :-)

During the time that I was injured by repetitive strain injury, I was under factors of fatigue, pressures from clients, and being stagnant at the computer as well as repeating mouse clicking many times during the day. In addition, I was undernourished because I did not take the time for a good lunch and sufficient other meals throughout the day. When I became injured, the body started drawing on the reserves of my muscles and tissues because I  had not supported my body enough nutritionally. This led to further injury.

Your computer screen

Please make sure that your computer screen is just slightly below eye level.

Most people are looking down quite a bit or do not have their screen up high enough.

Also, take a break from looking at the computer screen by looking away for a minute or two. Close your eyes and take a break :-) look up, look down, look all around :-)

Check it out!

Take micro-breaks!

In fact, take a look at this book “the four hour workweek” by Timothy Ferris

This book will help you become efficient and productive, promoting more time off of the computer!

Mixup the tools

Mix up the tools you are using, for example, try using a trackball, or a vertical mouse, tablet, split keyboard. You could even try using a dictate our navigation program such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking or MacSpeech Dictate. Mixing up the way that you use your tools to communicate will help alleviate using the same types of motion repetitively.

Mix it up

Mix up  the tools that you are using, for example: trackball, vertical mouse, foot mouse, tablets, split keyboard, dictate and navigation programs.

RSI guard

Check out RSIguard.com

This fantastic program interrupts your work every hour and guides you through exercises you can do at the computer for two or three minutes. In addition, it asks you to take micro-breaks and sends you messages on your computer to  pause  and relax various parts of your body. You can download this program and try it out for free for 45 days!


We all have a tendency to get caught up in our work and forget to take care of ourselves, this is a great way to implement the necessary breaks needed to stay healthy while working for long hours at the computer!

Reach for the sky!

When you arrive at work:

• make sure your workstation is comfortable and fits your
  body, avoid overreaching and twisting

• whether sitting or standing, align your body

• lightly and quickly massage your neck, shoulders, and arms

• do some neck and shoulder range of motion exercises

• do some general stretching, such as reaching for the sky--

Total body stretching before work prepares your body for the tasks at hand. 

Try Hot Yoga!

Resources: End carpal tunnel without surgery, Kate Montgomery

Ergowellmess • Missoulaergonomics.com

20/20 rule

Take a break every 20 minutes and do something different with your body for 20 seconds. You could flex your hands and rotate your wrists. Stretch your neck, close your eyes, take a deep breath, reach for the sky!
Every hour, get up from your computer for at least five minutes!
Resource: Alpine Physical Therapy, Missoula Montana

Unconventional approach to healthy computing

Welcome to Missoula's own Ergowellness consulting service!

Please check out our services, take a look around the website and let us know if you have any questions.

Take care of your body while sitting at the computer, here are some tips:

•Are you using your time efficiently?

•Do you get at least two goals done per day without being distracted?

Organizing your time can help you take more breaks from the computer.

The constant repetition of clicking and keying can cause repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel and tendinitis.