The Writer's Health Checkup Six Dangers to Your Body and How to Avoid Them

We can tell you're a writer if the sound of tapping on the keys of the keyboard sounds like music to your ears. Writing is an art, and writers are artists who understand how to express themselves through words in a powerful way. Many people believe they can write, but they are unaware that writing entails much more than completing college assignments.

If you enjoy writing, you are one of the fortunate few who can earn a living doing something they enjoy. Writing is one of the best skills to help you make good money.

However, as with any profession, consistency is essential. If you don't get fresh, high-quality content on a regular basis, you might not be able to make as much money as you'd like. And when you write every day, you spend a lot of time sitting in front of your computer or keyboard, typing away for several hours every day!

Consider this: you spend a lot of time indoors, sitting in front of a computer, doing little to no physical activity, and having no physical interaction with other people. Is this a healthy routine? Not to us, at any rate!

Working as a full-time writer puts you at risk for a variety of health problems. Being a professional writer entails numerous risks. But wait! Don't be concerned. There is a workaround. This blog post will go over all of the risks that come with being a writer and how to avoid them.

The Health Dangers of Being a Writer

Many people believe that a writer's job is "pretty simple and basic," and that they don't have to do much. After all, it's only writing, isn't it? Wrong. As simple and easy as a writer's job may appear, it is not only mentally exhausting, but it is also physically risky, as a writer's job puts them at risk of a variety of health conditions.

The following are the most serious health risks associated with being a writer:

One of the most serious risks that a writer faces is the development of musculoskeletal disorders. If you work as a writer, you may spend many hours a day sitting in front of a computer with no physical activity. When you're in a flow, you may lose track of time and not realize you've been writing for several hours. Now, sitting in the same position for several hours puts your back, neck, and shoulders at risk of strain. You'll first feel pain in your lower back, neck, and shoulders, and if you don't address these issues right away, you could face long-term complications.

When you have tight deadlines to meet, you may not even have time for lunch breaks. You could be eating your meals at your desk. This means you're eating but not burning calories, which can lead to weight gain. It is critical to burn calories because if you do not, it will not be long before you become obese.

Inactivity also increases your risk of developing long-term chronic diseases. Because you spend the majority of your time sitting in front of your computer, your blood circulation suffers as a result of immobility, putting a strain on your heart and putting you at risk of heart diseases such as hypertension and stroke. Inactivity also reduces insulin sensitivity, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes.

As a writer, you spend the majority of your day typing away on the keyboard while staring at the computer screen. Looking at the computer screen for extended durations causes eye strain. Blue light emitted by computer screens is extremely harmful to the retina. Blue light exposure can cause macular degeneration and cataracts. Furthermore, when you type, you blink less, which can cause your eyes to dry out and worsen the damage. Furthermore, the fluctuation in screen brightness and flicker can cause headaches and migraines. If you do not take it seriously, you may experience blurred vision and deterioration of your eyesight.

Repetitive motions, such as typing, can lead to Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Being a writer entails typing for hours on end every day. When you type continuously with your hands, you strain the same area. Examine your hands while typing now. Do you rest your wrists on the keyboard and rub them across it as you type quickly (to let your creative juices flow)? If you answered yes, you have a high risk of compressing the nerve that runs through your wrist and developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This condition causes numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, making typing uncomfortable and painful!

Writing is one of those jobs that doesn't require much interaction with others. Even if you go to work, you'll be seated at your desk for the majority of the day. Stress, anxiety, and even depression can all be exacerbated by a lack of human interaction, physical activity, and exhaustion.

How Can You Protect Yourself from the Risks of a Writing Job?

We are not suggesting that you stop writing. Writing may be your passion, a job, or a hobby. Whatever perspective you take on writing, you can't deny that you spend a lot of time in front of your computer and are at risk of developing health conditions associated with sedentary living and excessive computer use.

But the good news is that you can safeguard your health, safety, and well-being by avoiding all of these hazards. Here's how:

Configure an Ergonomic Workstation

If you work as a full-time professional writer, the first thing you should do is set up an ergonomic workstation. An ergonomic workstation encourages you to sit in the proper posture, lowering your risk of posture-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Begin by purchasing an ergonomic desk, such as the Sunaofe Standing Desk (Tau 2). Even if you use a laptop, an ergonomic desk will keep it at the proper height for you, so you don't have to type with your back curved, head bent, or shoulders slouched. The reason for this is that ergonomic desks have an adjustable height feature that allows you to lower or raise the desk's height to your liking.

The next thing you require is an ergonomic chair. If you write on a laptop, chances are you're doing so from your couch or bed, which will cause you a lot of trouble in the long run. An ergonomic chair will keep you seated at the proper height and provide adequate back support.

An ergonomic keyboard would be your best friend in this situation. Using a standard keyboard significantly increases the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! A standard keyboard is not designed to encourage natural hand placement on the keyboard. An ergonomic keyboard has a distinct design that allows for natural hand placement. You can position your hands at angles that do not strain your wrists. Another advantage of ergonomic keyboards is the padded wrist support, which relieves strain on the wrists and prevents nerve compression in the wrist region.

The next step in ensuring good ergonomics is to position your computer screen at the proper height, distance, and angle. Installing an adjustable monitor mount will help to ensure this. This would reduce eye strain while also lowering the risk of retinal damage and vision deterioration.