Positioning Screen, Body, and Mind for Online School

In the past few weeks students have gone from limited screen time during school hours to using devices for most of the school day. Learning how to adapt to such a sudden change in school structure is physically and mentally difficult for students, teachers, and parents. 

Some students complain about symptoms like stress, exhaustion, headaches, tired eyes, and sore necks and backs. What can they do? Here are some tips to help alleviate these symptoms and be more productive:  

1. Position the Monitor

According to Healthy Computing, a website dedicated to encouraging health while using computers, the monitor should be directly in front of you with the top of the screen level with your eyes. If it is off center or too low or high, it can cause shoulder, neck, or back pain. The monitor should also be about an arms length away. Also, follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second eye break to look at something 20 feet or more away. According to eye doctors, you should adjust the settings on your monitor to decrease eye strain. If the white on the screen looks like a light source, it is probably set too bright.

2. Position your Body

Pay attention to posture when you are working at a computer. An exercise that can help with head and neck posture is chin retractions. Look straight ahead and pull the chin back toward the neck like you are creating a double chin. Pay attention to your posture throughout the day. 

Also, you might consider elevating your screen and standing for some of your classes. Move around and get in different positions. Do the activites and workouts recommended for gym class. Go for a walk.

3. Position your Mind

Take mental breaks throughout the day. Do an enjoyable activity that doesn't involve a screen. An article in Psychology Today discusses the benefits of taking mental breaks. One benefit is breaks can restore motivation. It is mental taxing to concentrate on goals and taking breaks can help strenghthen motivation later on. Working for long stretches can lead to increased stress and exhaustion. Breaks can increase productivity and creativity. 

What solutions have worked for you?