Self-Care
Avoiding burnout as an ambitious developer #article - Cassidy Williams. "Burnout is difficult to describe to people who haven’t felt it. But it was also a valuable lesson. Here's a few tips on how to take care of your ambitious self and avoid burning out."
Care Cards - “A set of tips to keep you afloat. Care Cards are a set of kind thoughts and helpful little activities to keep you on top of your mental wellbeing.”
How Sitting All Day Is Damaging Your Body and How You Can Counteract It #article - “Do you sit in an office chair or on your couch for more than six hours a day? Then here are some disturbing facts: Your risk of heart disease has increased by up to 64 percent. You're shaving off seven years of quality life. You're also more at risk for certain types of cancer. Simply put, sitting is killing you. That's the bad news. The good news: It's easy to counteract no matter how lazy you are.” Get up and walk around once an hour.
How to Make a Cup of Tea Using the Microwave #article - “Although using the microwave to make a cup of tea is not the ideal way to make tea, it does reduce the time wasted waiting for water to boil on the stove top and can be convenient in workplaces or when you are parched and just want your tea "now". Here is how to perform it with the minimum of fuss.”
How Your Computer May Cause a Headache #article - “It's hard to imagine life without a computer. Whether it's our constant need to check email, the hours we spend surfing the Internet, or a quest to master a video game, staring at a computer monitor has become a part of everyday life for many of us.”
Measuring Programmer Job Satisfaction #article - “Are you satisfied with your job? Are you satisfied with where your career path is taking you? These are important questions, and I try to take time to think about this every 6 months or so. Its usually trivial to make a general statement rating job satisfaction: “Yeah I like my job.” or “My career is going nowhere.” But what factors influence programmer job satisfaction? How can hackers become more satisfied with what they do?”
https://blog.trello.com/hermit-habits-remote-work
Alternative Programming Techniques
An Autobiography of a Blind Programmer #article - "A question I get asked a lot is, being completely blind, how do I program? I have provided an answer to this question in some places. For example, I have answered How does a visually impaired computer programmer program? on Quora. I have also talked about this in part one and part two of my interview on LiveCoding.tv. However, this is a more in-depth look at my life, and the events that have shaped my current career and choices. More of an autobiography, if you will. So, if you are curious, give me your hand, and allow the blind to guide the sighted."
Hands-Free Coding #article - "After many failed attempts at solving the problem with physiotherapy, ergonomics, and prescription medications, I've found a solution that allows me to be productive without risking further nerve damage. I now work almost exclusively using a microphone and an eye-tracker."
The Tools of a Blind Programmer #article
Breaks
Break Timer #extension - “Enforce periodic breaks to prevent RSI / eye strain. Break Timer allows you to set up customizable breaks and will remind you to take them. Taking breaks whilst working or studying is crucial in preventing RSI, eye-strain and tiredness.”
Microbreaks #extension - This one includes 20-20-20 eye care breaks. “Schedule break reminders and increase your productivity. "Micro Breaks" can be used by anyone who spends long hours with the browser. Regularly scheduled breaks can improve productivity, relieve joint or muscle pain, and increase overall alertness. Micro Breaks will gently remind you about the break with an active green icon and/or desktop notification that can be easily turned on/off with a click of a button. Did you know? Taking regular breaks of just 2 minutes can increase productivity by 11.15%. Have a good workday!” #chrome #eyecare 👍
Time Out #software - People often recommend this app for setting up 20-20-20 breaks to prevent eyestrain. “It is very easy to fall into bad habits when using a computer for hours on end. You care about what you are doing, so can sometimes push yourself too far, or over-strain yourself. The human body isn't built to sit in one position for endless hours, gripping a mouse or typing on the keyboard. Dejal Time Out is here to help. It will gently remind you to take a break on a regular basis.”
Tomighty #software Website down as of July 16, 2018. Too bad, because I love this Mac osX pomodoro app. 👍
Eyestrain
13 Tips to Prevent Eye Fatigue #article - “Your eyes are burning, itchy, and tired. It’s a common condition but rarely serious. You can take simple steps to prevent or ease this problem.”
The 20/20/20 Rule Can Save Your Eyes from Screen Strain #article - “My number is 10. That's the rough estimate of how many hours I'll spend staring at a screen on a normal day. That includes 2 hours of on-and-off TV-watching and internet-browsing at home, plus two 4-hour blocks of non-stop screen gazing at work. The problem isn't the total hours, though. It's the consecutive hours. Staring at a screen non-stop can take a toll on your eyes. Staring today, we're trying to implement the 20/20/20 rule.”
The 20-20-20 Rule for Reducing Computer Eyestrain #article - “The computer screen is bright and therefore, if you don’t blink your eyes as often as you should while working at the computer for long hours, you can have dry eyes sometimes even followed by redness. To help you deal with this problem, the 20-20-20 rule suggests that after every 20 minutes, the computer user should take a break for at least 20 seconds and look at objects that are 20 feet away.”
The 20-20-20 Rule: Preventing Digital Eye Strain #article - “Designed to reduce eye fatigue, the 20-20-20 rule says that every 20 minutes of screen time, you should look away at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. These regular screen breaks give your eyes some much-needed rest and help prevent eye strain.”
Computers, Digital Devices and Eye Strain #article - “Staring at your computer screen, smartphone or other digital devices for long periods won’t cause permanent eye damage, but your eyes may feel dry and tired. You may develop blurry vision, fatigue or eye strain. Some people also experience headaches or motion sickness when viewing 3-D, which may indicate that the viewer has a problem with focusing or depth perception.”
Sit about 25 inches, or arm's length, from the computer screen. Position the screen so your eye gaze is slightly downward.
Many devices now have glass screens with considerable glare. Reduce glare by using a matte screen filter if needed.
Take regular breaks using the “20-20-20” rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds.
Use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry. Consider using a humidifier.
If a screen is much brighter than the surrounding light, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjust your room lighting and try increasing the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain.
Eyestrain #article - Mayo Clinic. "Extended use of computers and other digital devices is one of the most common causes of eyestrain. The American Optometric Association calls this computer vision syndrome, or digital eyestrain. People who look at screens two or more hours in a row every day have the greatest risk of this condition."
How Does the 20-20-20 Rule Prevent Eye Strain? #article - “If you find yourself gazing at screens all day, your eye doctor may have mentioned this rule to you. Basically, every 20 minutes spent using a screen, you should try to look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.”
How to cure eye strain headaches – 10 tips #article - “Eye strain is a popular health issue in the nowadays life. It can occur due to several of different reasons. Some common causes are reading in insufficient light for a long time without breaking or relaxing, staring at digital devices for long stretches of time, sleep lack, excess or less exposure to bright light, incorrect vision prescription, allergies, and some other kinds of eye issues.”
How to Reduce Eye Strain #article - “Eye strain is a common problem today. It can happen for a number of reasons. Some common causes are lack of sleep, staring at digital devices for long stretches of time, reading in low light for a long time without taking a break, allergies, incorrect vision prescription, exposure to bright light and some kind of eye problem.”
How to Relieve Eye Strain #article - “If you've got tired, achy eyes or frequent headaches, your eyes may be strained. You might only notice tired eyes after a long day of work or at the end of the day. This may mean your eyes are straining to focus on your computer or small objects. Whatever the reason, learn to rest, strengthen, and relieve dry eyes. If symptoms don't get better or your eyes continue to get worse, see your eye doctor for a complete examination.”
How to Safely Instill Eye Drops - Mayo Clinic #video - "Brigitte Keener, O.D., optometrist at #MayoClinicFL, demonstrates how to safely and effectively instill eye drops for patients who have prescribed drops for treatment of ocular conditions."
Intermission #app - "Take Direction Over Your Screen Time. Intermission helps you look away from your devices, preventing sore eyes, burnout, and Computer Vision Syndrome." I think it's $8 for lifetime.
Pomy #app - “Focus timer for your eye health.” Better than Time Out.
Rubbing Your Eyes Feels Good, But It's Bad #podcast - “The occasional “knuckle rub” to an itching eye can feel so relieving, especially as allergy season starts. But according to Dr. Mark Mifflin, professor of ophthalmology, chronic eye itching can lead to serious, irreparable damage to your eyes. On this episode of "The Specialists" we investigate what can cause constant eye irritation–and the risks you take by rubbing your eyes too often or too hard.”
Allergy eye drops can be very effective in relieving itch.
“I tell my patients that the amount of pressure needed to wash one's face with a washcloth gently or dry with a towel is the appropriate amount of pressure to put on one's eye. Anything more than that is probably unhealthy for the eye.”
Tension Headaches #article - “A tension headache is the most common type of headache. It can cause mild, moderate, or intense pain in your head, neck, and behind your eyes. Some people say that a tension headache feels like a tight band around their forehead.”
Tool Box Talks: The 20/20/20 Rule #article #pdf - “Good ergonomics & safety for computer workstation users involves frequent stretch breaks. Computer users must also provide breaks for their eyes. Computer users can stare at a computer monitor for 8 or more hours each day. This continuous gaze at the computer monitor can result in eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, double vision and dry eyes. Use the 20-20-20 rule to help prevent eyestrain. Review these tips with computer users.”
Fatigue
How do you combat programming fatigue?
“This reminds me of Mort (Terry Pratchett) - the bit where Mort is clearing the dung in the stables. ‘Let's see, he thought, I've done nearly a quarter, let's call it a third, so when I've done that corner by the hayrack it'll be more than half, call it five-eighths, which means three more wheelbarrow loads... It doesn't prove anything much except that the awesome splendour of the universe is much easier to deal with if you think of it as a series of small chunks.’”
Music, Ambiance, White Noise
Ambient Worlds #channel
Braid Soundtrack - [Full] - [HQ] #soundtrack #video
Harry Potter Music & Ambience | Dumbledore's Office - Office Sounds for Sleep, Study, Relaxing #video
Magical Tearoom ASMR Ambience #video
Ori and the Blind Forest - Official Soundtrack Full Album #soundtrack #video
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