V modern world people spend too much time in front of a computer screen. Prolonged computer use can cause high blood pressure, blood sugar, heart disease, and fat accumulation around the waist. Therefore, it is important to try to tear yourself away from the computer every day. Organize your computer time, make small lifestyle changes, and ask friends and family for help.

How to use your computer most efficiently

Keep track of how much time you spend on your computer. Start by recording all the time you spend in front of a screen. Many people convince themselves that they need to be online all the time for work, school, and socializing. However, this may not be the case. If you start recording all your online activities and how long it takes, you'll be surprised at how much time is wasted.

• Take notes throughout the day in a small notebook. Every time you use your computer, write down what you do, for how long, and if it's mandatory. You can spend 20 minutes answering emails work, because your career depends on it, but before and after that you can decide to give a total of 30 minutes to social networks.
• Be honest with yourself. You are not required to show your entries to anyone. Your task is to understand where the time is going and make adjustments. For example, you may be horrified to find out that you spend 2 hours a day on social media. If you feel like this is too much, set a goal to reduce this time to an hour. Try to follow the plan and see if you can reach that goal the next day.
1. 
   

   Schedule breaks. Looking at a screen for too long is bad for your health - you risk straining your eyes and earning a headache. For this reason, you should take breaks. This will allow you to reduce the amount of time spent at the computer.

   • If you have free time at work, do not open Twitter or Facebook. Better get up from your computer, go for a walk, read a book for 10 minutes, call a friend.
   • When you're alone at home, try to take breaks. For example, promise yourself to take your dog for a walk after 2 hours of non-stop computer work. This will allow you to take your eyes off the screen and relax. You can even set a timer to stop in time.
2. 
   

   Set aside time for classes without a computer every day. If you spend too much time at the computer, you will have to work on how to distribute your time more correctly. Try to schedule non-computer related activities every day. 2-3 hours spent without a computer will help you manage your time more intelligently.

   • Choose a time when you will not use your computer. It will be helpful to quit your computer at the same time each day. For example, make a promise to yourself that you won't use your computer every day from 5 to 7 pm.
   • It may be difficult for you at first. For many people, the computer is the main way to relax. Try to do what you like. Cook food or bake a pie. Go for a long walk. Read a book. Put the puzzle together. Call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while.
3. 
   

   Limit internet use. It is important to plan not only the time spent at the computer, but also work with the Internet. Many sites are specially designed so that a person stays there as long as possible. The person begins to follow the links further and further. If you allocate a certain amount of time to the Internet, it will be easier for you to tear yourself away from the screen.

   • Before you turn on your computer, decide what exactly you need to do on the Internet. If you want to update your Facebook status, do so and close the site. If you want to buy a gift for your boyfriend on Valentine's Day, before turning on the computer, decide what and where you want to watch. If you need to read the news, bookmark a few news sites you like and browse them after you turn on your computer.
   • If you like to browse the Internet from time to time, you can do it in the future, but you will need to limit this time. For example, give yourself 90 minutes a day just to browse certain sites. Set a timer and turn off the Internet when the time is up. At first it will be difficult for you, but gradually you will get used to it.
4. 
   

   Block all sites that distract you. When you analyze how you use the Internet during the day, think about which sites take up the most of your time. Have you lost time because of Facebook? Spent too much time on humor sites? There are add-ons (add-ons) and plug-ins for browsers that allow you to temporarily block access to certain sites. Try to install these plugins or addons and block sites that take up your time for a few hours every day. If you need to be at your computer, you won't be wasting your time.

5. 
   

   Use technology to your advantage. There are special addons and applications that will help you manage your time spent on the Internet. If the Internet forces you to spend a lot of time on your computer, try to buy and install such applications.

   • If you need a computer for work, try using RescueTime. This is an analytics application that can calculate what you do on your computer every day and for how long. This program will help you track your progress in reducing your computer time.
   • SelfControl is a program for Mac devices that blocks certain websites. The principle of its operation is similar to the principle of add-ons that block sites for a certain number of hours, but it is much more difficult to deactivate the program. It is impossible to turn off the timer in the program, and even restarting the computer will not help. You just have to wait for the time to pass. If you often deactivate blocker addons, this program will help you.
6. 
   

   Complete all computer-related tasks as soon as possible. If you need to email a colleague or do some other online task, you might decide to put it off until later. Because of this, you will waste time on the Internet uselessly or start playing games. If you prioritize correctly, it will be easier for you to spend less time on the Internet.

   • If you have work to do, get busy. Make a promise to yourself not to open Facebook until you've answered an email from work. Don't play The Sims if you haven't finished designing your company's website yet.
   • At first, you may find it difficult to deal with procrastination. A lot of people procrastinate all the time, and everyone likes to do things that they enjoy (playing games or surfing social media) rather than work. It can take a few days to learn how to prioritize correctly. If you don't succeed right away, don't give up. Gradually, small changes will help you reduce the time spent in front of the screen.

How to Limit Screen Time

Help from others

• Get back to the hobby you gave up. If you used to do crossword puzzles in the newspaper every day, start doing it again. This way you will spend less time on the Internet.

For many years, the computer has been an integral part of the life of almost every person on the planet. At the same time, everyone knows that daily many hours of spending time at the computer causes serious harm to health. To avoid negative consequences, you should follow a few simple recommendations:

1. Sitting at the computer should be comfortable. For these purposes, it is worth buying a comfortable chair, otherwise the back will start to ache, and the posture will deteriorate. If back problems are already making themselves felt, it is advisable to buy a posture corrector at the nearest pharmacy and put it on every time before you sit down at the computer.

2. It is better to choose a large table so that it can accommodate not only a mouse, keyboard and monitor, but also additional equipment: a scanner, modem, printer, etc.

3. The workplace must be cleaned periodically and prevent the accumulation of dust and debris. At the same time, it is advisable to wipe the mouse and keyboard with a disinfectant, since it is on their surface that bacteria and microbes accumulate no less than under the rim of the toilet bowl.

4. From constant mouse clicks, the hand gets tired and numb, sometimes even an articular disease develops, which is difficult to cure. Therefore, every hour it is recommended to knead the hands for several minutes.

5. Good eyesight is rare, but even people with excellent eyesight should take care of their eyes, because they quickly get tired of working at a computer. To avoid visual problems, it is recommended to use a medium-sized monitor - 15 inches. Monitors that are too small or too large can tire your eyes. In addition, the distance between the eyes and the monitor must be at least 45 cm and not more than 60 cm.

6. Lighting in the room plays an important role. It is impossible to sit in the dark and work at a computer, as this also adversely affects vision. The best option- this is the same brightness of the monitor and the light in the room.

You should take care of your health before serious problems appear, as they are easier to prevent than to cure.

Now most adults spend time at the computer both at work and at home. It is impossible to imagine modern life and any office without computer technology. However, few people think that long work at the computer can harm eye health and cause vision loss. Dry eyes, cramps, their rapid fatigue, increased photosensitivity, headaches have already become standard symptoms for people who spend more than 8 hours a day at the computer.

How long can one sit at a computer without serious damage to the eyes and how to avoid unpleasant consequences for vision?

How the computer affects vision

A computer can indeed be extremely harmful to eye health if you do not follow the hygiene of working behind it.

For the natural vision of a person, certain conditions are familiar, in which he lived for thousands of years. We are characterized mainly by distance vision, which was necessary for hunting and orientation in space, and when working at a computer, we look at objects at the same distance for a long time, and due to the lack of sufficient movement, the eye muscles are greatly overstrained, their spasm may occur. . In addition, when a person looks at a computer screen, he blinks much less often (usually the number of blinks is about 15 - 20 per minute, and when working at a computer - only 2 - 4 blinks per minute), this leads to drying of the mucous membrane, and itching occurs. and eye irritation.

An incorrect ratio of brightness and contrast of the monitor also leads to fatigue. Too bright direct light is unnatural for human vision and causes severe eye irritation. In addition, at high brightness, the contrast of the image decreases, which also negatively affects perception.

Constant glare of the monitor significantly impairs vision. They interfere with the perception of information and cause rapid eye fatigue. The very structure of the image on the computer screen is different from what is familiar to our eyes. Instead of sharp, straight lines, as is the case with printed text, we are looking at a dotted (pixelated) image that does not have sufficient sharpness.

All these factors together lead not only to rapid fatigue of the eye muscles, a decrease in visual acuity, but also to problems with the neck and back. Therefore, when you spend time at the computer, you should observe simple rules, which facilitate the work of the eyes and reduce the risk of unpleasant consequences for vision.

How to protect your eyes when working at a computer

In order for the eyes to get tired as little as possible and suffer from the negative consequences of sitting at the computer, first of all, it is necessary properly organize workplace . The chair should be swivel and height-adjustable, with an upholstered back, with support for the lower back. The edge of the seat of the chair should not press on back knees. The top of the monitor should be at eye height, and the distance from the eyes to the screen should be at least 50 cm, preferably 60 - 75 cm. In this case, the computer monitor should be located in such a way that the screen does not reflect the light from the window or the light from the ceiling lights . It is better that the light falls on the desktop and the computer from the side, preferably from the left.

try blink more often and look away from the computer screen. Periodically get up and walk around the office, look out the window at distant objects. There is a rule that every 20 minutes you need to take your eyes off the computer and look at objects located at a distance of at least 20 feet (that is, 6 meters) for 20 seconds. This technique will unload the eye muscles and relieve eye fatigue.

Adjust monitor brightness according to the lighting in the room, the screen should not be too bright so as not to irritate the eyes with direct bright light sources, or too dim so that you can clearly see the image on the screen and do not strain your eyes.

Try to spend as little time as possible on the computer take a break every 30 minutes, take a walk, or do other things like go to the printer or have a cup of tea or coffee. During lunch, go outside, and do not stay sitting at the computer. Do not spend leisure time in front of your home computer, smartphone, tablet or TV.

Do eye exercises regularly, which will keep the eye muscles in good shape and at the same time unload them. Move your eyes up and down, left and right, diagonally, in a circle, then close your eyes and lean back in your chair, massage the bridge of your nose, the lower parts of the eye sockets, the outer corners of the eyes and the superciliary arches in a circular motion. These simple exercises for the eyes will help relieve fatigue and maintain vision.

If you spend more than 7 hours a day at the computer, and if you experience unpleasant symptoms (watery eyes, redness, dryness, itching, eye fatigue, headaches), consult an ophthalmologist, he may recommend special computer glasses for you. improve image contrast, relieve stress on the eye muscles and protect the eyes from monitor glare.

To maintain eye health, it is necessary that the human diet be rich in vitamins, microelements and other useful substances, this is especially important for everyone who regularly experiences large visual loads and sits a lot at the computer.

Diet for clear vision and eye health implies that the foods consumed must contain:

Lutein and zeaxanthin (spinach, lettuce, egg yolks, corn, pumpkin - green and orange vegetables);

Vitamin E (nuts, seeds, sprouted wheat grains);

Zinc (various types of meat);

Vitamin A (eggs, dairy products, meat, carrots, blueberries, apricots);

Vitamin C (rose hips, sweet peppers, berries, kiwi, citrus fruits);

Vitamin D (fatty fish, eggs, dairy products);

Beta-carotene (orange-yellow vegetables and fruits: carrots, pumpkin, apricots, mangoes, melons, as well as spinach and broccoli);

Omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish).

If you follow the rules of working at a computer, competent organization of the workplace, proper nutrition and regular gymnastics for the eyes, you can significantly reduce the unpleasant symptoms and consequences of sitting at the computer for a long time. However, remember that if there is any discomfort in the eyes and a decrease in visual acuity, it is worth contacting an ophthalmologist to check your vision and, possibly, purchase computer glasses to protect eye health.

How to buy computer glasses

You can choose and buy computer glasses at, an ophthalmologist will check your eyesight and tell you which computer spectacle lenses you need. If visual acuity is already reduced, then the ophthalmologist will write a prescription for computer glasses with diopters. A salon specialist will help you choose the right frame, and you can order stylish computer glasses that suit you, which will be pleasant and comfortable to use at work.

Practical tips for reducing fatigue while working at a computer: personal experience.

Friends admire my ability to work without the sensitive supervision of my boss, and I laugh it off and say that I do not work at home, but live at work. You may have guessed by now: I am a freelancer. But the article is not about how good it is on the other side of the office, but about how to stop feeling like a beaten horse after hours of work at the computer.

Do you want the truth? It's complicated. Sometimes it's easier to stare at a laptop screen and tap the keyboard all day long than to force yourself to follow at least a couple of the recommendations that I plan to talk about. They will be useful to my colleagues and everyone who works at a computer takes a lot of strength and energy. I will talk about what to do so that professional burnout does not occur (if the work is tied to a PC or laptop), and in the morning the reflection of red eyes in the mirror does not frighten. I do not pretend to the uniqueness of the advice, but only share my personal experience on how I became less tired at the computer.

Learn to blind typing

If working at a computer takes up a lot of time and energy, and you still type with two fingers, it's time to change something. Since my work is related to texts, I did this many years ago. Then the Keyboard Solo program developed by Vladimir Shakhidzhanyan helped a lot. I am sure that since then there have been at least worthy alternatives, including free ones. I remember exactly that 15 years ago it took exactly a month, despite the fact that classes were given 2-4 hours a day. But now I type almost at the speed of thought, and working with text takes much less time than my friends. But they also prepare reports, issue invoices and communicate with friends in social networks and instant messengers.

Plan!

I do not encourage you to boring planning, but I recommend that you promise yourself that a certain task (work, game, watching a video or correspondence) will take some time, and then you will take a break. For example, it may sound like this: “I will find the information I need and get distracted by household chores”, “I will play for half an hour and go out to breathe on the balcony”, “I will chat with a friend for 20 minutes, and then I will cook dinner”. It is important not only to set goals, but also to achieve them. Uncontrolled sitting in front of the monitor, when one task smoothly flows into another, tires the eyes, causes nervousness and irritability from the fact that the brain has to process large amounts of information without interruption. If you work at a computer in the office, feel free to use all the permitted “smoke breaks” for relaxation, even if you are an ardent opponent of smoking. After all, this is another reason to “reboot”.

Automate your workmaximum

Keyboard shortcuts often help you perform some operations faster than with a mouse. In addition to the usual Ctrl + C, Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V, there are many other combinations. Here are some useful examples:

• Alt + Tab - is responsible for switching between windows of running applications;
• Ctrl + Z - undoes the last action;
• Ctrl + A - selects the contents of a page or document;
• Ctrl + S - saves changes to the file;
• Win + D - Minimizes all windows and opens a clean "Desktop".

Only in the official guide Microsoft Windows over 350 keyboard shortcuts described!

Also pay attention to the top row of the keyboard and find the button labeled Fn in its lower left corner - they work great in tandem. But here you need to look at a specific keyboard and its capabilities.

Advanced users record macros that automate small pieces of work consisting of diverse operations. These mini-programs work great and make life easier for accountants and office workers, designers and programmers.

Eat in a room where there is no computer

I understand how you want to bring a cup of hot tea to your computer, but this is the maximum that you can afford. Eating at the computer, you harm yourself twice. First: food is poorly digested and there is a serious prerequisite for overeating, and nutritionists confirm this. Second: the ability to work in the process of eating is reduced. Most likely, you will look at the screen, but you will not do anything planned for these 15 minutes. In general, "flies (in our case, a computer) separately, cutlets separately."

Take a break from the computer 1.5–2 hours before bed

It's like not eating 3-4 hours before bedtime, only not with a refrigerator, but with a computer. 2 hours is enough for me virtual reality before I try to sleep. This works well when numbers and letters do not jump before your eyes, a feed from a social network does not flash or mail client. Therefore, if you have planned work at the computer or (oh, horror!) Decided to devote a couple of hours to your beloved computer game, try to finish it before you are going to really relax. I spend my free time watching movies and TV shows, chatting with friends or a loved one. But reading, on the contrary, does not help at all: since one has to read large volumes of text at work, it is not associated with relaxation. To immerse myself in the book world, I choose a day off, a trip, or waiting in line.

Use the tomato technique

... When one's own willpower is not enough. This great way get the job done twice as fast. Briefly describe how it works. Imagine that you have a short period of time - let's call it a "tomato" (do not ask why this is - better ask Francesco Cirillo, the author of the technique). This time you will perform a certain task and in no case be distracted by others. 25 minutes are allotted for one “tomato”, but this value can be changed up or down. One Pomodoro is over - take a short break for 5 minutes. After 5-6 Pomodoros, allow yourself a long break of 20-30 minutes.

From my own experience I will say that you should not make too long or, conversely, short “tomatoes”. If you have less than 20 minutes for work, you have to distract yourself for rest too often, and this throws off the rhythm. If the "pomodoro" lasts more than 50 minutes, the temptation is great to be distracted from work ahead of time. Also, try to explain to your mom why you didn’t answer her calls for an hour 🙂

To use the Pomodoro Technique, you need quite a bit of willpower and a timer. A universal option is a kitchen timer, but if it is not at hand, an application for a smartphone or computer will do. The main thing is that it gives a signal about the end and start of work after a specified time.

The technique seems primitive, but it really works, allowing you to rationally spend time at the computer. And it is guaranteed to be reduced by 2 times - checked!

Use "eye programs"

Another method for those who have difficulty with willpower. Eye programs (or reminder timers) interrupt work at regular intervals. They don't care about burning projects or game raids in full swing. The only way to stop them is to uninstall, but that's not our way, right?

Here are a few free programs, which will provide the eyes with a forced break in work: NEWBaRest, NI Glaz, EyesRelax , "Rest for the eyes". All of them are developed under Windows OS.

So here's what they do: general case stop other processes and do not allow you to perform any actions (simply closes access to applications). But that's not all. Often such programs dim the screen and play light relaxing music. The duration of the break is set in the settings, and notifications are available in individual applications, which will issue a corresponding warning a couple of minutes before the break.

Work in a comfortable environment

Sometimes working at a computer in the office takes up the lion's share of the day, even when all tasks are completed in a couple of hours or, conversely, more time than the standard 8 hours. Here it is important to find a reasonable compromise between performance and comfort. The more negative factors affect from all sides, the worse. The more positives, the better. I'll try to explain with examples. Talkative employees interfere - buy headphones and work in silence. Looking for documents in a pile of papers on the table for a long time - finally get out and get rid of this annoying factor. Or put pictures of children or a loved one on the table so that there is an excuse to take a break from work and think about the good for a minute.

Since freelancers are not threatened by gray office everyday life, I act differently. For example, I can't concentrate in a mess. As a result, ordinary tasks take one and a half to two times more time. To remove this factor, I simply set aside time for cleaning, and then work quickly and already with obvious pleasure.

Or I take a wireless 4G modem (in directory online store OnLime has several models to choose from) and I go to the park. The Internet works stably, the birds sing, the family does not bother with questions - a fairy tale! Sometimes in these couple of hours - that's what my laptop is capable of - I do more than in 3-4 hours at home. As a result, I get tired less.

Take care of your eyes

The more comfortable the eyes, the less the feeling of general fatigue from working at the computer. For myself, I decided that I would not save on lighting, so my desktop has not only a high-quality main light, but also a table lamp, since there is no backlight on the laptop keyboard. The screen itself is rotated so as to exclude glare from the falling rays of sunlight. They not only spoil your eyesight, but also terribly annoying. And I also use special drops and gels that eliminate the dryness of the mucous membrane of the eye. The first time I tried one of these remedies, I was in seventh heaven with happiness. By that time, my eyes were red and watery after 3-4 hours of work at the monitor, and by the evening I tried not to open them, as it was painful to even look at the wall, not to mention the screens!

I hope your story of computer fatigue ends as well as mine. And these simple tips at least improve the quality of life and cheer up 😉

In today's world, people spend too much time in front of a computer screen. Prolonged computer use can cause high blood pressure, blood sugar, heart disease, and fat accumulation around the waist. Therefore, it is important to try to tear yourself away from the computer every day. Organize your computer time, make small lifestyle changes, and ask friends and family for help.

Steps

How to use your computer most efficiently

Keep track of how much time you spend on your computer. Start by recording all the time you spend in front of a screen. Many people convince themselves that they need to be online all the time for work, school, and socializing. However, this may not be the case. If you start recording all your online activities and how long it takes, you'll be surprised at how much time is wasted.

Schedule breaks. Looking at a screen for too long is bad for your health - you risk straining your eyes and earning a headache. For this reason, you should take breaks. This will allow you to reduce the amount of time spent at the computer.

Set aside time for classes without a computer every day. If you spend too much time at the computer, you will have to work on how to distribute your time more correctly. Try to schedule non-computer related activities every day. 2-3 hours spent without a computer will help you manage your time more intelligently.

Limit internet use. It is important to plan not only the time spent at the computer, but also work with the Internet. Many sites are specially designed so that a person stays there as long as possible. The person begins to follow the links further and further. If you allocate a certain amount of time to the Internet, it will be easier for you to tear yourself away from the screen.

Block all sites that distract you. When you analyze how you use the Internet during the day, think about which sites take up the most of your time. Have you lost time because of Facebook? Spent too much time on humor sites? There are add-ons (add-ons) and plug-ins for browsers that allow you to temporarily block access to certain sites. Try to install these plugins or addons and block sites that take up your time for a few hours every day. If you need to be at your computer, you won't be wasting your time.

Use technology to your advantage. There are special addons and applications that will help you manage your time spent on the Internet. If the Internet forces you to spend a lot of time on your computer, try to buy and install such applications.

Complete all computer-related tasks as soon as possible. If you need to email a colleague or do some other online task, you might decide to put it off until later. Because of this, you will waste time on the Internet uselessly or start playing games. If you prioritize correctly, it will be easier for you to spend less time on the Internet.

Turn off your computer completely when not in use. Anything that makes it difficult to access your computer will help you cut down on the time you spend on it. If you are not using your computer, turn it off. If you know that you will have to wait 10 minutes for it to load again, you will not want to spend 10 minutes on the Internet so much.

Use your smartphone less often. If you have a smartphone, you may use your computer more often. The Internet and social networks on your phone can remind you to turn on your computer. If you use your smartphone less often, you will spend less time in front of your computer.