How to Be a Geek and Stay Healthy

If you are a geek, you know it. It's the way that you are and unlikely to change. You have probably always been a bookworm. You're good with technology and have often been called a genius by those who fumble with hooking their new stereo up or installing a new DVR for their television. This is all well and good, but your lifestyle could be putting you at risk. When you sit at a computer for extended periods of time day after day, your body could pay the price. Think about the risks.

Love Hate Computer Relationships:

While sitting at the computer is probably part of your job, you need to make sure you're doing it properly. Frequent breaks will help prevent repetitive strain injuries. Also you probably want to invest in a nice wrist rest and ergonomic keyboard and mouse to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from rearing its ugly head. You need to make a living, but you also want to make sure you have a good quality of life.

Also, especially if you're working from home, make sure you're doing all you can to reduce glare off your monitor and keep it wiped down so that it remains smudge and dust free. If you have natural light coming into the room, try to position the monitor so that it isn't facing the window, or have blinds and curtains that can block it out while you're working, so as to reduce the glare.

Did You Just Text Me From Across The Room?

A geek is nothing without technology. If you don't have it, you crave it and even feel anxiety. Remember the last time you left your phone somewhere and that feeling you got when you realized it? You're not alone. There are actually health issues related to cellular phone technology. Of course there's the EMF gives you a tumor study that is inconclusive. However, headaches migraines and sensitivity to light are symptoms of too much exposure to EMF. For men, your reproductive system may suffer adverse effects from excessive cell phone use. Of course, there's the obsessive or compulsive message checking disorder that affects some users. You know, the people who can't seem to go 10 minutes without taking out their phone to look at it. If you're laughing right now, you just realized that's you.

Take Steps to Protect Your Health:

Just because you're a geek, that doesn't mean that you have to be unhealthy. You can take simple steps to protect yourself. When it comes to gaming or watching television, limit your time to an hour a day, or try to play more active games like with the wii fit or Xbox Kinect. If you are on the computer as part of your job, don't sit for hours at a stretch, if you can get up every fifteen minutes or so it will help keep you healthier. Breaking up your day and getting some healthy exercise and if you dare, a bit of sunlight, can actually improve your mood and keep you working and gaming happier and healthier. At the end of the day, if you feel like you might be having some trouble sleeping, make sure you've powered down your computer and that your cell phone is far enough from you not to bother you.