Staying Safe and Healthy

It’s easy to sit at your screen for too long, or forget to take a break.  But taking care of your health is important too.

Here are some tips and links to other websites that may help.

1. Set up any computer you use so that you are completely comfortable.

Always try to work at a desk. Make room on the desk for the screen, your keyboard, your mouse and any papers you need.

Adjust or position your chair, and set it up so that your arms comfortably reach the keyboard and mouse and your feet touch the floor.

The screen should be directly in your line of vision.

2. When using laptops and tablets, try as much as possible to set them up as if you were using a desktop.

Avoid looking down at the screen. Try to position it so that the screen is in your line of vision.

Place the laptop or tablet on a desk or a table. Then make yourself as comfortable as you would for a desktop.

You will find some useful tips on laptops on the NHS Live Well website.

3. Take regular breaks.

Work for an hour, then take a 10 minute break.

Go for a walk, make a drink, talk to someone.

Using the web or posting to a social networking site isn’t the same as taking a break. Walk away from the screen and do something else – just for 10 minutes.

4. Make sure your environment suits the work you’re doing.

Work in an area with good lighting, so that you can see your screen and any printed materials easily.

When you are working on a computer, you’ll probably work best in a quiet atmosphere, so choose a place that isn’t noisy.

It makes sense to work in an area that isn’t very hot or freezing cold.

On most of your university campuses, you’ll be able to find quiet spaces to work as well as social learning spaces.