Writers, coders, trainers...consider your future self

Do your future self a favor and learn about basic ergonomics. I began my career as a typesetter and have been typesetting, writing and coding for nearly 40 years. I was diagnosed with tendinitis about 5 years ago and it was only then that I hired a specialist to examine my office and work habits. He redesigned both to be ergonomically correct. Fortunately, today's generation of coders are well aware of the importance of a safe workplace.

I am still tempted to occasionally escape my office environment and head toward the more scenic parts of my house like my balcony, deck and so on. The pain quickly reminds me that I'm making a mistake. I'm afraid the pandemic may catch many off guard. On my first visit to the physical therapist, he said what caused this? "There is always a reason", he proclaimed. Well, I wanted to ask him the same question. I'd been doing this for decades …why now? He was right, there was a reason. I thought about it and realized for almost 12 months prior, I had flipped my training vs. writing work load. Instead of 50-75% training and 25-50% writing, I was now predominantly writing. It took that period of time to tip my arms over the edge.  Once I returned to more training, the pain subsided.

Finally, don't get lulled into a false sense of security because you practice one or two solutions, or you use a sit/stand desk. The answer is always move and stretch often! Hat tip to Evan Carey, who suggested during a train-the-trainer session I was conducting, to give students frequent three to  five minute breaks specifically to stretch. This is especially helpful in today's virtual training environment. So, my fellow trainers, coders and writers…keep doing what you love and be safe!