One of the major contributors of repetitive stress injuries in developers is having limited micro-break while programming. No, I am not talking about those long one hour break you take at work, but its while break for smaller duration (usually 5 minutes.) after say every 30 minutes of work. These frequent micro-breaks in your working habit gives proper time to heal from wear and tear because of contraction occurred through using keyboard and mouse. These breaks are very important to give adequate relaxation to muscles that involved in computing. There is no hard and fast rule for length of break one should take, as it varies depending from person to person. Usually 5 minutes break is enough for every 30 minutes but this figure can vary depending upon the nature of work he involved in. You can decrease or increase the micro-break duration based on your conformability and work load. But the bottom-line is that you should take proper and regular breaks at work.

Well, deciding on taking regular and consistent break and being firm of that are two different things; and I know it’s very difficult to stick on that and you do want someone who will remind you regularly to take these breaks. And this is where those break reminder utilities comes handy.

You can find lot of utilities readily available in internet (just google break reminder download) but I will recommend Workrave. Its free and its open source application.

Workrave is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit. Its available for both OS, Windows and Linux.

WorkRave URL: http://www.workrave.org
Download URL: workrave-win32-1.8.3-installer.exe

Still not convinced of having regular breaks? Here is the great single page leaflet from WorkRave with explanation of why one needs regular micro-break while working.

Thanks Rob Caelers for creating this nice utility.

If anyone asks me which keystroke combination I used most while computing, I would unhesitatingly say its Alt-SpaceBar (yes! it’s not even Alt-F4 for closing window).

I am not sure if this key combination is generally used by most users, but I love this combination as it allows me to close, minimize, maximize or even restore any window using keyboard and therefore I have another reason of not using mouse. Now I can always keep my hand on keyboard even if I need to do some activities which can only possible using mouse and I no more require to shift my hand from keyboard to mouse and then again from mouse to keyboard just to minimize or maximize window.

Here is the Alt-SpaceBar keystroke combination list:
Alt-SpaceBar + c – Closing Window
Alt-SpaceBar + n – Minimizing Window
Alt-SpaceBar + x – Maximizing Window
Alt-SpaceBar + Enter – Restore Window

Like for closing a window, simply press Alt and SpaceBar which will open a control popup menu and then press c. You will feel more comforting in pressing these keys as they are more closer to you as compare to F4 which is that top of the keyboard.

It might seem bit awkward and complex key combination first few times (as I was feeling at initial stage) but with regular use, I am sure you will also love this key stroke combination.

As an expert user, you always prefer to use “Enter” key to click any button (so that you don’t have to shift your hand from keyboard to mouse and then vice versa) or if you are beginner user, you will simply click that button using mouse. It is usual way to input our choice in window especially when you have a dialog box showing some confirmation message or any message box.

Expert user will simply hit “Enter” key to press that button when he see that current focus is on the button he want to click.

But there is a problem with this “Enter” key. Notice the position of “Enter” key in keyboard. At the right hand side! And which finger you use to press? Your soft index finger! Or otherwise you will twist your wrist slightly towards right to press using middle/ring finger etc. This whole activity of pressing “Enter” button results more tear and wear to your pinky finger or otherwise to your wrist.

To overcome of overusing finger to hit “Enter” key, I always prefer to use space bar instead of clicking button by hitting “Enter” key. No! I don’t like to shift my hand from keyboard to mouse, just to click a button.

For quite sometime, I am using space bar to clicking button and its now become part of my regular working habit. I do really feel more comfortable in pressing space bar instead of clicking button as it’s require using my big thump which earlier requires pinky finger to do same thing.

Why not you try yourself?? Use space bar when you require clicking button in dialog box through hitting “Enter” button or clicking mouse button, and check how it works in your case. So next time when any application shows a dialog box for confirmation or alert message, just hit space bar instead of hitting “Enter” key or clicking button using mouse. And if default focus is not on button you want to press, use tab button to shift focus.

Needless to say, Mouse is a universal input device for computer when it comes to working in graphic user interface. As almost all operating systems trying to reach all segments of people irrespective of their profession and technical skill and these GUIs are used as important instrument to achieve this goal. These graphic user interfaces are easy to operate and require less or no technical still to operate. And when you are working in GUI and wants to point to the specific object in screen, you simply can’t ignore this mouse. If you want to live in this environment, you have to work with this mouse.

But then mouse is having it own problem pertains to operating it. Whether you accept this fact or not, mouse is the main factor responsible for RSI, CTS etc for people involve in computer based profession. Yes, it is the most unergonomically design accessories attached to your computer. Look at its shape. Look at its buttons. Its shape is such that it’s difficult to fit in your hand. You continuously have to “hold” it work with it. Its do require lot of wrist movement to move here and there. And what is more concerning thing is that it does require smaller muscles to click its buttons. With so much problems associated with this accessory, why not we just throw it out of window and operate our computer with keyboard only? You know the answer. You just can’t breathe without mouse when you are living in GUI based environment. You have to have use some pointing device to guide your pointer.

So question comes up here, is it possible to protect us from the consequence of using mouse? Its there something I can do to safe or at least reduce the risk of injuries develops because of mouse? Are there any safe working practices to use mouse to reduce these injuries? Or else I just have to bear the consequence and allow to decay my wrist slowly and gradually? Certainly not! Considering its unergonomical design and kind of wrist movement required to operate it, it’s really hard to eliminate the risk of using mouse. But we can minimize this risk sizably through disciplined operating practice. Here are few tips relating to owning mouse, operating with mouse etc.

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