Writing Environment
While writing all day, it can be physically uncomfortable after a while. Just like any repetitive action or sitting still for too long, you need to remember to get up and move around, be mindful of your posture, have a place to work without distractions, and take breaks. Have you thought about this before? What kind of work environment do you work in? What do you need while writing?
I have a list of things to consider that might help you have some productive writing time. I will be sharing tips about the environment around you, posture, and more. I think these are very important. I’ve always written all day every day, but I’ve recently gotten lazy about my posture and I take less breaks. As a result, I injured my wrists and had to take some time off and spent many months recovering until I was back to my normal writing load. Taking care of how you work before it has a negative effect on your health is essential. Let’s see what you can do to take care of yourself and your work!
Writing Environment
It is good to be mindful about your work environment to maintain a healthy workplace and pace. If you take care about how you work and take care of yourself, you can prolong your productivity, comfort, and quality of work.
Good Posture: If you are sitting up at a desk, it’s important to sit up straight and have your feet flat on the floor. If you are bending over, or slouching this can cause soreness and even injury if you are not careful. It’s not fun to be in pain due to bad posture so be sure to be mindful of this. Taking breaks, getting up and moving around, is helpful too.
Monitor Height: Keep your computer monitor at eye level. It’s good to sit up straight and to have it a good distance from your eyes to prevent strain. If you are on a laptop, be aware of your posture or put it up on a table in front of you.
Keyboard Height: I might notice this more because I played the piano for many years, but if I had too high or too low of a bench at the piano, my hands hurt. The same goes for typing. You do not want your wrists collapsed or bent while typing because this can obstruct proper circulation. Type with your wrists elevated (held up above the keys like you are playing the piano.)
Vertical Mouse: The classic desktop mouse can be really flat. While those are normal, a vertical mouse allows for better posture and keeps your wrist in a more neutral position.
Monitor Time: Take breaks! It’s recommended every hour or so, make sure you look away from your screen and look at something out the window or across your room. Stare at it without blinking for twenty seconds then blink a bunch. This acts like a nice reset and helps your eyes relax for a moment.
Work Limit: While I can write 8,000 words a day (and regrettably did that a lot) I limit myself to 3,000 words a day. I take breaks every hour or less, and make sure I stretch during these breaks. At the end of the day and at the beginning, I ice my wrists and stretch to make sure I don’t feel too tight. This helps avoid injury from straining or overdoing it.
Water: Stay hydrated!! This helps with EVERYTHING!
Noise: It’s good to have a peaceful workplace depending on what your preference is. I love listening to music and used to use my headphones all the time. Did you know using your headphones for too long can damage your hearing, give you headaches, and cause hearing loss? I don’t know the statistics (look on Google) but be mindful of how loud you listen to music. Just something to keep in mind. Like everything else on this list, don’t overdo it!
Focus & Scheduling: Ask yourself what kind of setting helps you focus. I like a little bit of noise and a clean setting. I usually clean the house in the morning, sit down and journal over breakfast before I even start to work. I do emails, messages before writing or opposite. It’s important to know what works for you and try to establish a routine to benefit your writing time. If you want to be cozy, light a candle or get a warm blanket. If you want noise, turn on the news, write at a restaurant or cafe, or go outside.
Distractions: If you have a hard time focusing, did you know Microsoft Word has a focus mode? It allows your word document to take up the whole page, so you have no distractions. I suggest setting your phone on silent or vibrate and setting it out of reach. Have a clean workspace, and maybe set times to designate writing time where you do nothing but write.
Conclusion
This is just a list of things to consider. It’s taken me years to understand what works the best for me and see where I need to improve. Writing can be hard and there are so many distractions to disrupt your work. But if you find yourself writing a lot but can’t keep up with it due to discomforts from bad posture, lighting or monitor height isn’t something you want to slow you down. I recommend reevaluating your writing environment to see how you can improve. It’s worth it in the long run!