Table of contents
Life as a developer can be both exciting yet exhausting at the same time. We all know what it's like to do something while sitting down. Whether it is programming, doing schoolwork or anything on the chair, it can get really bad for your health. What are the best ways to exercise self care as a developer? Here are some quick ones to get you started.
Eye Care
As a developer, you might find yourself working day and night on a project. That means sitting for more than 12 hours in front of a screen. This might be exciting, but when you're young you often neglect your health to seek thrill. Here are some quick things you can do today to protect yourself:
- Invest in some glare-blocking blue tinted computer glasses like these on amazon.
- Get yourself a bouncy ball so that you can look away every so often to focus on that. Taking eye breaks from time to time can help refresh your eyes and relieve them from potential fatigue. The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to look far frequently. Look outside. Look at the trees, the roads and the buildings around you. This will keep you from experiencing eye strain.
- You’ve probably already heard of flux. It is a very popular software that reduces the blue light rays coming from your screen. It automatically adjusts the colors of your screen according to the time of the day.
Hand Care
As developers, many of us rely heavily on our hands’ ability to type out code. But spending 8 hours on a keyboard can be hard on them.
- Consider investing in an ergonomic keyboard. If you’ve got a favorite call it out in the comments--there are many different styles and shapes.
- Doing these stretches just once a day or week will help prevent carpal tunnel.
Body Care
Many of us are familiar with the perils of sitting 8 hours in a desk for 5 days a week.
- Regular stretching or walk breaks: Take a break and walk around! Even a short walk can have great health impacts and a walk will help improve your mood as well.
- Standing desks: if your office allows it, standing desks are good for you! Although claims that standing burns lots of calories have largely been refuted, standing desks can help your blood sugar return to normal faster after eating if you’ve spent more time standing, and some find them beneficial for the back/neck/shoulders.
Mind Care
Research suggests that short breaks between spurts of productivity can provide essential mental rest for overworked minds.
- Try using an extension like this one which enforces the pomodoro method (a system that breaks up 20 minute intervals with short periods of rest) with regular reminders.
- A walk break can highly improve your mood. Even a short one can make you more enthusiastic, less tense, and more able to perform your job for the rest of the day.
And that's all for now!
Thanks for reading this till the end. I hope these are some helpful tips which you can apply immediately to start taking better care of your physical and mental health. A good developer is a healthy developer after all! If you find this helpful, be sure to leave a like and share it around. Also, if you have any good self-care tips besides the ones I mentioned above, please share it in the comments below. Have a happy self-care journey! Cheers!