Tech + Wellness: Safety Tips for Techies

The tech community worldwide enjoys some beautiful and glamorous fanfare from virtually everyone.

As a techie, you are easily pitched as a genius who has finally discovered why circles are round, and squares are boxed.

Personally, the praises are worth it because of various reasons like the difficulty in understanding computer programming languages, structuring algorithms and even the jargon.

The tech innovations are mind-blowing and deserve a lot of praise. In fact, every techie is seen as a growing Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos with some mind-blowing idea that will make the world a better place.

Asides from the fanfare received by techies, some other benefits of being in tech are envious. The relatively high-pay, flexible working conditions, career growth and development etc., are envious benefits of working in the tech industry.

These benefits are mouth-watering and one of the biggest reasons individuals consider a tech role.

But unlike the benefits, the health risks of being a techie are usually not discussed more often among individuals, primarily non-techies.

Every profession or skill has its occupational hazard or risks that individuals in such fields might experience during active work years or retirement.

Tech isn't an exception.

A good knowledge of these health issues would help techies to prevent being victims of their actions. So, in this article, I will list a couple of health risks prone to techies and how they can prevent themselves from such health problems.

Some of the health problems prone to techies are;

• Backaches: Due to prolonged sitting hours of techies while writing codes, designing or even documenting, they (techies) usually experience aches in their back, especially the lower back. This can be prevented by using an ergonomic chair and/or an adjustable table while working. The ergonomic chair promotes good sitting postures and adequately aligns the shoulders, hips, and spine. At the same time, the adjustable table can be adjusted for use while standing in case the user wants to change posture. Though the above equipment can be expensive, a developer can occasionally take breaks while working to perform simple stretches or even a short walk around.

• Eye problems or disorders: Techies constantly interface with digital screens from various devices. These screens emit blue light, also called HEV (High-energy visible) light. This blue light can cause eye strain, headache, and even make it harder to fall asleep. One way to prevent this is the use of anti-glare lenses to prevent the halos or glare one may experience while working on a computer. Another cheap way to avoid eye defects is by adjusting the screen brightness of any device we are using.

• Stress and Anxiety: This particular health risk has multiple causes. It can be a result of toxic work environments, unclear goals, and work overload. The result of this particular health problem is very dangerous as it affects productivity and eventually can lead to loss of job. The best way to prevent this is to develop clear-cut work goals and develop and maintain good sleep/rest patterns. Also, maintaining a good work-life balance would help one avoid this particular problem.

• Obesity: Most techies due to long working hours usually neglect their diet and jump on the next fast food or snack just to keep the energy going. This habit can easily lead to obesity over time if not handled properly.

  Techies should engage in physical exercises, and sports as frequently as possible in order to avoid the risk of obesity and also watch their diet. The benefits of exercise are beyond physical fitness, it is also beneficial for mental health.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: This is caused by pressure on the median nerve. The median nerve helps you move your forearm, wrist, hand and fingers. It also provides sensation to the forearm and certain parts of the hand. Some symptoms of this ailment include numbness, tingling and weakness of the arm. This is commonly caused by placing our wrists in bad positions. The most effective way to tackle this is to use good wrist pads or rests while operating our devices.

Conclusion

The first step to deliverance or liberation is the knowledge of the underlying problem, and ignorance is not an excuse to be a victim of circumstance.

So, a good knowledge of these health problems is an advantage for every existing techie or newbie who aspires to be in tech soon. Also, techies should invest in purchasing devices and equipment that ease work while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, the plan is to be a techie and also live a long healthy life.

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