Ask HN: How to mitigate damage of excessive screen time?

21 points by jmstfv ↗ HN
To be more precise, excessive screen time coupled with sedentary lifestyle. What are your techniques to alleviate damage of this duo?

10 comments

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2 quick things I've done:

* Buy tinted glasses that filter out blue light; darken websites & text editors & terminals

* Have a set of dumbbells nearby that you can exercise with

max an on the go lunch and at lunch time go out for a walk while eating? Then when you get use to it, before breakfast go out for quick brisk walk then and try to get mobile and away from the screen
Standing desk; a regularly scheduled activity that involves moving, preferably one that you like (sports league, martial arts &c).
Forest & Nature Hiking! Plus: you can adjust your eyes on nearer and farther stuff more easily when there are lots of trees about, and that helps for eye plasticity!
Dark code theme is one of the most important ones if you spend a lot of time coding. If that's not your thing use gray background.

Filter blue light, use small screens, use arc dark theme, reduce brightness to match daylight time.

Take micro breaks (walk to your mailbox, get coffee, walk the dog, whatever).

Treadmill desk. I alternate between sitting and standing. Standing by itself is bad for you, just like sitting all the time is bad for you. The key is to MOVE.

I make use of the Pomodoro Technique, and walk in 25 minute cycles, and then sit for a few minutes while I break. After a couple of hours of doing that, I'll sit down for an hour.

This is my office setup: https://www.dropbox.com/s/089qqvaa7j5ob77/office_setup.jpg?d...

* mostly keeping screen brightness at ~30%

* f.lux

* pomodro sessions and walk-breaks

* compulsively execute post-work 1hr evening exercise

* at least 6 hour sleep everyday in darkish room.

* Live with hope that these counter most of the sedentary work-lifestyle damage :)

I changed the thing I have (and want to have) control over, the sedentary lifestyle.

The time I spend not being sedentary is also the time I don't spend in front of screens.

some automatic timers and reminders, a little dumb app on my phone that goes off every 45 minutes during work hours, a jog in the morning, etc...