A stable desk (preferably with an adjustable keyboard holder)

A supportive, adjustable chair

A good quality, properly adjusted monitor

Adequate lighting (squinting causes exhaustion and headaches)

Ergonomic: Pertaining to the optimum shape, placement and construction of elements designed for human interaction.

Dot pitch: The density of pixels used to display images in a computer monitor.

Shim: A small piece of wood, plastic or cardboard placed on the floor underneath a piece of furniture, intended to compensate for a slant in either the floor or the furniture. The most effective ones are shaped like wedges.

Vertical refresh rate: The speed at which the image on a computer monitor is updated. The faster the refresh rate, the more stable-appearing the image.

A drawing tablet (where the "mouse" is actually a pen) can relieve pain caused by using a traditional mouse. Many people also use trackballs instead of mice, and swear by them.

Use overhead, diffuse lighting whenever possible. If your lighting comes from the side, or from behind, eventually your eyes will feel it. If you rely on lamps, try to point them facing a wall, using the diffused "bounced" lighting instead of a direct beam.

Screen filters (the polarized kind that attach to the monitor) are great for just about everyone except graphic artists (who need the truest color). They darken the overall look of your monitor...but do you really need vibrating reds and electric blues?

Take a break every once in a while. Walk around the office and look out the window, focusing on distant objects. The objective is to stretch your muscles, and exercise your eyes.

If you're a hunt-and-peck typist, learn to touch type. This can save you an enormous amount of time, as well as cutting down on the stress placed on your hands and wrists.

2torial #0432: Learn2 Avoid Repetitive Stress "My computer is trying to kill me!" Ever wonder why you're in such a bad mood after working on your computer? Have you been experiencing wrist pain, tired eyes or neck and back pain? Well, you're not alone: there are more people working on keyboards and in front of monitors than ever before. Many of them have been experiencing what is now termed repetitive stress injury, or RSI. RSI has actually been around for quite some time. Before there were lots of people working on computer keyboards, there were lots of people working on typewriter keyboards. In the past, though, any complaints about painful wrists, or backaches were generally dismissed as imaginary or opportunistic. Once computer work became part of just about everybody's job, recommendations were developed to help people avoid these problems. Here are some that you can apply to your workplace with a minimum of fuss and/or cost. Prepare to adjust your habits as well as your physical surroundings. Remember when your parents would tell you not to sit too close to the TV set? Well, what do you think you're doing when you plant your face a foot away from a computer monitor? Let's face it: computers are not good for our physical health. Eyestrain, wrist pain, back troubles and a fat butt are what we get from working too long in front of our computers. We can, however minimize these complaints by setting up our work areas properly, and using some common sense. That means modifying your workstyle to take breaks, and modifying your awareness, so as to notice the creeping causes of strain before they become real problems. Consider your desk If you or your firm has a spare desk hanging around, the temptation is almost irresistible to simply plop a computer on top and declare it a "workstation." That can be fine - so long as the desk offers at least a majority of these features: Your keyboard should be just below elbow height, so that your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. The best way to achieve this is by having an adjustable keyboard surface that descends to the required level. The desk should not shake or quiver when used. This means a heavily built, properly braced piece of furniture, with legs adjusted for full contact on the floor. Use shims if necessary. The desk should be deep enough to allow the monitor to be placed at least 20 inches away from your eyes. You can pull the desk back from the wall to make extra room, but don't balance the monitor precariously on the far edge. Consider your chair The chair should be adjustable in several different ways. If you can't afford a good new chair, buy a good used chair. The chair should adjust vertically to allow your forearms and thighs to be parallel with the floor when working. The chair should have an adjustable backrest, that supports your lower back when sitting upright. The chair should have armrests, and wheels to roll back easily. Consider your monitor There is no substitute for a good monitor. You'll be staring at this thing for hours at a time, so insist on the following features: The monitor should have a "dot pitch" of no greater than .28 for 17 inch or smaller monitors, .30 for monitors larger than that. The monitor should not appear to flicker. If it flickers, then it probably doesn't have a high enough 'vertical refresh rate.' A vertical refresh rate of at least 68 hertz (often abbreviated as Hz) is generally sufficient. To get a good sense of a monitor's flicker rate, try looking at it obliquely, out of the corners of your eyes. The monitor should be sufficiently bright, and should not distort at the edges. The monitor should have an adjustable angle, so that you can look directly at it, without craning your neck Consider your keyboard Keyboards mostly look the same, but here is one thing to watch out for: The keyboard should have a nice, springy feel to the keys. You'll be amazed at the difference in typing effort from one keyboard to the next. Some newer keyboards are being made in a "split" configuration, which allows a more natural hand position. These are highly recommended by people who use them, but are not to everyone's taste. Pay attention to your posture If your equipment is adjustable, as described above, you should be able to follow these guidelines to minimize back and neck pain: Your keyboard should be just below elbow height, so that when your wrists are straight and your fingers are on the keys your forearms are parallel to the floor. Your back and neck should be straight when you look directly at the monitor. If you need to raise the monitor (or lower your chair) to do this, do so. Don't slouch! -end- Learn More!