You use a laptop for hours on end every single day, right? At least, if you do a lot of freelance work, then you’re most likely going to be on your laptop all day, every day. As such, it can come as a shock to learn that your laptop is harming your health. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s a genuine thing to be concerned about!
The main problem doesn’t necessarily stem from the laptop itself, but rather the way you’re using it. You slip into lots of bad habits when using your laptop, many of which will lead to underlying health conditions – some of which you can’t cure.
Thankfully, you can take cautionary steps to prevent your laptop from harming your health. It’s all about knowing the right ways to use your device, minimizing any of the associated risks!
Avoid direct contact with your lap
As the name alludes to, a laptop is designed to be placed on your lap while you work. The brilliant idea behind this is that you can work anywhere you want, without the need for a desk. Unfortunately, this can cause some serious health problems – particularly in men. Lots of people end up needing infertility treatment as a result of constant laptop usage. The heat from the laptop can make men infertile, and the radiation doesn’t help either. If you are going to use your laptop on your lap, then ensure there’s a thick barrier between it and your body.
Raise the screen on your desk
Ironically, the best way to use your laptop is to make it more like a desktop computer. Loads of people end up with chronic pain because of poor posture caused by sitting down, staring at a laptop all day. Normally, your laptop screen is low down, causing your head to bend down, putting stress on your neck. This also leads to the rounding of your mid-back and shoulders, creating lots of added tension in these areas. The result is that your posture is completely messed up, leading to constant pain and increased inflammation. Watch the video above to see how you should set your laptop up properly to avoid this health concern! Poor posture is genuinely something to worry about as it can lead to lots of other health conditions.
Reduce the brightness
Lastly, the brightness from your laptop screen can cause health issues – mainly with your eyes. Staring at the screen for long periods puts excessive strain on your eyes. As a result, they lose their ability to focus, which can mean you have vision problems. Therefore, you end up going to the eye doctor and will need to pay for glasses for the rest of your life. If you turn the brightness down, this stops the problem. Alternatively, many laptops have screen settings where you can choose a ‘night mode’ setting. This reduces the amount of brightness on the screen and makes it much easier on the eye. Also, staring at screens for too long can impact your sleep, which will have further consequences on all areas of your health & wellbeing.
By following these three tips you will prevent many of the health risks posed by laptops. Of course, there’s one extra thing to consider; reducing your laptop usage. This isn’t possible for people who need to work, but you can still reduce the time spent at your laptop consecutively. For example, have a break every 30-60 minutes to give your eyes a rest, stretch, do some postural correction exercise, and so on!
