“Life’s like a play; it’s not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters.”

- Seneca

Are you like the Olympic athletes, waiting to take off with enthusiasm and do your best each time you sit in front of your computer?

Many of us are on the mark and set to go, without being ready to perform at our peak, but the daily athletic event of keyboarding requires endurance, strength and time for regeneration, similar to world-class athletes.

So here are eleven effective ways to become a keyboard athlete and start working at your peak:

1. Eat a nourishing breakfast.

Rise and shine! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After 6 to 11 hours without eating, your body needs an energy boost.

So, it is very important to ‘break the fast’ from the night before. It provides your body and mind with the necessary energy and nutrients to start your day off right.

But if you run out the door without having your breakfast, your body literally will be running on empty. Chances are you’ll feel tired and lacking energy by mid morning. Your thinking will be clouded and you’ll have a hard time concentrating. You’ll probably be irritable and nervous as well.

2. Take microbreaks.

While working at the keyboard, try dropping your hands to your lap and exhaling every single minute. You have to let your shoulders, arms and hands curl down and dangle toward the floor. And after 1-2 seconds, bring your hands back to the keyboard and continue your work.

Also develop a plan to take microbreaks whenever you have an interruption such as:

at the end of a paragraph; when the phone is ringing; when someone stops by to speak with you; during computer pauses; when you’re reading your emails; when thinking about what you want to write.

Remember that you can make the difference between discomfort and health just by taking a momentary interruption in muscle tension. Think of it as carrying a heavy object; if you set it down for just a second, your muscles relax and you’re able to continue carrying it.

3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.

Through sweating, urinating, exhaling and bowel movements, most adults lose about 9-10 cups of fluid a day. And even a minor dehydration can cause serious problems, like impaired concentration, irritability, headaches and fatigue.

So, drinking more water everyday will help you think clearly. Also remember, research has repeatedly shown that staying hydrated is necessary for the human brain, which is 85 percent water, to function at optimal levels.

I guess that’s the reason why many school systems throughout USA now encourage students to keep a bottle of water at their desks and to drink it throughout the day.

4. Breathe effortlessly.

The moment we start typing, we tend to breathe more quickly and shallowly. This rapid, shallow breathing, predominately in the upper chest, may increase muscle tension in our neck and shoulders, can reduce our hand temperature and inhibit our body’s ability to regenerate. So, in order to encourage relaxation and regeneration, we have to breathe effortlessly.

During the day observe your own breathing pattern, and every time you catch yourself holding your breath, gasping or breathing shallowly, remind yourself to exhale very slowly and breathe in your abdomen. Then, as you exhale longer, continue to breathe very quietly while working at the computer.

5. Take frequent large movement breaks.

Every 15 to 60 minutes make sure you change positions, alternate tasks, or perform movements for about 1 to 5 minutes. These large movements assist lymph return, improve blood flow and redistribute physical strains and pressures, such as disc compression from sitting.

Use every opportunity to change your position such as:

stand up to answer the phone; walk over to the next desk instead of just sending an email; alternate your work tasks; stand up and do some stretch and strength exercises.

Also install a computer interrupt program. These programs will keep reminding you to take breaks.

6. Exercise at least three times a week.

People often complain of being too tired to work out. But physical activity actually improves your capacity for work, so people who exercise on a regular basis actually have more energy, strength and endurance for daily activities than do their sedentary friends. That feeling of increased energy, and vitality is one of the benefits people tend to notice a few weeks after starting working out on a regular basis.

Physical activity also encourage the production of endorphins that produce feelings of well-being, provide for “natural” pain relief, and help you relax. So, if you want to blow off some steam after a bad day? Exercise! A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

7. Sit up to reduce discomfort.

We often collapse like a letter “C” at the computer. But, if this position is held for too long, especially when we put our nose to the screen, it may lead to neck, shoulder and back tension as well as feeling tired and drained. This collapsed position can also contribute to depressive and negative thoughts.

So, during the day, sit up while working at the computer. And don’t forget to alternate tasks and take movement breaks frequently.

8. Sleep 6 to 8 hours per night.

A study from the University of Luebeck in Germany found that out of 106 people observed, those who obtained a full night’s rest were three times more likely than sleep-deprived subjects to perform well on cognitive tasks measuring memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This is due to the brain activity that occurs during certain segments of sleep.

Also, those suffering from sleep deprivation suffer from irritability and reduced concentration. So, remember that you are more likely to make mistakes and have a slower reaction time if you don’t get a good night sleep.

9. Think of a humorous event and simulate laughing.

A laugh a day keeps the doctor away. It is nature’s antidepressant and it will offer you another view of reality. Laughter and an optimistic perspective will also reduce your neck and shoulder tension, lower blood pressure, and enhance your immune function. So, promote your health and lighten the office atmosphere with some laughter.

10. Practice flow typing.

A common error people often make in typing is resting their wrists on the desk surface/keyboard tray or wrist rest. In this position, the hand bends backwards (wrist extension) and rotate toward the side (ulnar deviation).

Palm and/or wrist resting on the wrist pad may also cause us to strain when reaching different keys on the keyboard. And at the same time forearm, neck, and shoulder tension may also be increased. So, to reduce this risk of hand/wrist strain, practice flow typing:

- Sit comfortably erect.
- Make sure your upper arms hang along your body, with elbows bent at an angle between 90 and 100 degrees.
- Keep your wrists straight with fingers relaxed and loosely touching the keys.
- As you type, try observing how your arms move forward, back and slightly to the side as your fingers access different keys.
- Type with a light touch and playfully allow more movement with your arms and shoulders.
- The typing movement should be distributed throughout the whole arm and shoulder, similar to the way a relaxed pianist plays.

11. Take time for yourself; mediate or introspect.

Many studies suggest that performance can decrease by as much as 25% when people work an excess of 60 hours per week for prolonged periods of time. And as you can see this performance degradation can often negate almost all the benefits of the extra time spent at the office.

The cause of the decreased productivity is often physical and mental fatigue, which usually leads to slower work, more mistakes, and wasted time. So, you may be physically present at work but distracted and unfocused.

To prevent that, schedule some time for yourself. Take one hour on certain days to do an activity you truly enjoy. Work on a hobby, do some exercise, go for a walk, meditate and introspect, or read a book. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you enjoy it. These big breaks will help you renew your energy and concentration.

So, work at your peak and do your best each time you sit at your computer, and you’ll become a world-class keyboard athlete.

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