People who think that writing is not a manual job have not done any. It’s true that you don’t use your legs or cardiovascular system the same way you would in some occupations, but the strain on your eyes, neck, back, and wrists more than makes up for it. Headaches, chronic fatigue, and carpal tunnel pain are just a few of the physical occupational hazards faced by writers and other workers who do a lot of writing. As a professional freelance writer, I’ve become more familiar with these writing-related things than I’d like. To help others in a similar situation, here are seven ways I’ve found to help reduce stress and fatigue while writing.
1. Create a comfortable workspace
First, create a comfortable workspace. Your workspace includes your desk, your screen, your keyboard and other input devices, such as a mouse or digital pen, and your chair. Discomfort, strain, fatigue, and pain can result from placing any of these in awkward positions.
Arrange everything so that you can sit up straight with the screen at eye level, your hands positioned comfortably, your back and hips comfortably supported, and your feet flat on the floor. Adjust the height, lateral positioning and distance of elements in your workspace to achieve this.
Avoid placing the screen so that you have to tilt your head or twist your neck to see it. Keep your keyboard and other input devices at a height where you can rest your hands comfortably on them instead of flexing your wrists and fingers when typing or clicking. Keep your input devices at a distance where you don’t have to extend your elbows too far to use them. Adjust the height and position of your chair to meet these principles.
2. Sit comfortably
Creating a comfortable workspace is a step towards sitting comfortably, which is another key to avoiding typing fatigue and strain. Good posture will also help you sit comfortably. Following a few important posture principles will provide you with solid structural support, minimizing strain and maximizing comfort.
When you sit down to type, hold your head up so that the center of the screen’s viewing area is at eye level. Keep your neck and spine straight by adjusting your shoulders so they line up vertically over your hips. Let your feet rest flat on the floor or a supportive surface.
Avoid posture problems by controlling the positions of your head, neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Do not lean forward with your neck or trunk. Don’t drop your head. Don’t slouch your shoulders. Don’t push your hips in front of your upper body. Don’t let your feet dangle behind you or stretch them out in front of your body.
3. Warm-up
Warming up before writing will help you avoid repetitive motion fatigue and strain. This is especially important if you tend to experience wrist stiffness when typing, but it’s a good practice in general to prevent stiffness and increase power.
Take a few minutes to warm up your eyes, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, and fingers. Take at least 10 to 30 seconds for each of these body parts, moving in different directions to stretch your muscles and stimulate circulation.
Here’s a quick chair warm-up routine that you can adapt to your needs:
- Open your mouth and eyes wide as if you were going to yawn, then gently close them, lightly clicking your teeth together. Repeat 10 to 30 times.
- Loosen your neck and shoulders by rotating your arms in circles, reaching your arms up and forward as if you’re holding a large ball or a pair of paddles, then pulling your arms down and back to complete the circle. Repeat 10 to 30 times. (If you are in an environment or physical condition that does not allow you to do large circles like this, you can make smaller circles by putting your hands on your hips, with the backs of your wrists at your sides as if making a pair of wings. like a bird, and just moving your shoulders.)
- Push your hands out in front of you as you bend your wrists back and extend your elbows, as if pushing something away, and then slowly squeeze your fingers together as you pull back, imagining sinking your fingers into something warm and soft. Repeat 10 to 30 times.
I’ve found that warming up like this before writing makes a big difference in whether or not I feel stiff.
4. Work in short bursts
Sitting and typing too long at once will tire your eyes and body, leading to fatigue and reduced productivity. You’ll have more energy and write more if you work in short bursts instead of non-stop writing marathons. For peak performance, 30 to 45 minutes is all you should do before taking a short break.
5. Pause to blink and yawn
Whether you’re typing or taking a break, you should periodically pause to blink and yawn. Staring at a screen and focusing too long strains the eye muscles and can lead to headaches and jaw and neck tension. You can alleviate this by remembering to periodically pause to blink and yawn.
6. Stop to stretch
During breaks, doing a short stretching routine will help loosen stiffness and recharge your energy. Simply walking and moving your arms will help. You can also repeat your warm-up routine.
7. Use alternative input devices
One final way to reduce typing fatigue and pain is to use alternative input devices to reduce typing strain. I prefer to write my schematics with a pen in a notebook before sitting in front of a computer. Other ways to avoid typing are to use a digital smartpen, which can convert your typed words into digital text while recording your voice, or text-to-speech software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which will record your voice and translate it into text. You can even record yourself and then hire a transcriptionist to write it down.
Here are some of the most important strategies you can use to reduce the physical stress and tension that comes with writing. Adopting these tips will make typing a more comfortable experience and give you more energy to get more done.