workrave

Many couples these days meet through the internet, but I’ll bet that for every love match made online, another couple splits up because of computers. Here are some of the common examples of computer-induced relationship meltdown, together with some advice on how to prevent them:

Too much time on your PC

No one can say that harvesting your tomatoes in Farmville, grooming your dog in Pet Society, and looking at videos of kittens on YouTube aren’t vitally important tasks. However, you should remember that your partner probably needs a little attention too.

Don’t worry, the worlds of Mordor or the plains of Lordaeron will not cease to exist if you decide to take a romantic trip to McDonalds with your loved one. If you need a bit of encouragement to get off the computer, then install some breakout software, such as WorkRave, which will force you to get off your PC at scheduled times.

The curse of the ‘Away’ status

Status indicators in programs such as Windows Live Messenger, Facebook Chat, or Yahoo! Messenger can be a relationship killer. In particular the ‘Away’ state is a big protagonist, causing breakdowns in communications that can lead to bust-ups. Here are some common scenarios:

* Your messenger program is set to Idle, showing your partner that you left your computer in mid-conversation.

* The same app puts your status back to Available when you move your mouse, and your beloved sees that you’re back at your PC and you still haven’t responded.

* If you’ve disabled status indicators and are always listed as ‘Available’, this can cause even more problems. Get up from your computer for a few minutes and your partner may start talking to you with no response, appearing that you’re ignoring them.

In this very moment, as you're reading these lines, you're probably increasing your possibilities to suffer from RSI. Don't panic, it's not a fatal disease: RSI stands for Repetitive Strain Injury and is the kind of physical condition you get from spending too much time working in front of a computer without taking the appropriate measures. And while working is a good habit – it dignifies the human being, at least that's what they say –, if you go beyond certain limits it'll begin to seriously affect your health.

There are a few quick tips you can follow to prevent RSI and work with your computer in a healthier way. They can be summed up in the following points:

• First, have all the elements in your working space – monitor, keyboard and mouse - properly arranged. They should easily reachable and comfortable to use. Make sure the monitor is at a proper height (with the screen's top edge aligned with your eyes) and use a wrist rest to type.
• Second, your desk and chair should be carefully chosen, so as to enable you to sit straight in a natural way. Try to maintain posture alignment, without slouching, and keep arms on your chair armrests as often as possible.
• Third, take frequent, short breaks rather than scarcer, longer ones. The ideal rate is a five-minute break every working hour. Look away from the computer, do some stretching exercises or even better, go get some water in the water cooler downstairs.

As you can see, taking care of your health while working with a PC is not that difficult. What's more, there are software tools, like Workrave, that can help you get in the habit of work pauses and stretches.Workrave can be scheduled to warn you with message window every time you have to take a break. The program also includes a series of highly detailed exercises to prevent RSI, as well as some funny statistics about your mouse activity, number of keystrokes and other useless data.
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Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is one of the biggest hazards of working behind a computer. It's caused by the constant performance of repetitive tasks whether it's mouse clicking or simply sitting in the same position too long. That's why it's extremely important to take regular breaks, walk around and basically get away from your workspace. However, that's not always easy when your workload is piling up and there's plenty of distractions on the internet to look at. That's why I've compiled these top 5 programs aimed at helping you avoid RSI.

RSI Warrior - Features a host of tools including a rest break reminder, over 20 specialised stretches and an 'auto-click' function which prevents you having to make so many mouse clicks.

Mousotron - Keeps a record of your mouse clicks and movements for those that are suffering RSI in their wrists.

Break Reminder - Simply reminds you to take breaks at periodic intervals.

Ergonomix - Issues reminders and warnings based on your PC usage. It also instructs you what types of exercises you should be doing based on usage.

Workrave - Designed for those officially diagnosed with RSI and need a specific recovery plan.

Health is definitely one of our most important worries in life. It's the first thing you ask for when beginning a new year, when having a baby, when meeting a three-wish lamp genie. It's therefore worth remembering that you can also use your computer to help take care of your health.

There's a wide range of software programs which can help you acquiring healthy habits, dropping the bad ones and improving your quality of life in general. So move on! Take a look at these applications and start taking better care of yourself right now. It's never too late and your own PC can make it easier than ever.

1. Homeopathy : learn more about alternative medicine.
2. Workrave : remember to take pauses at work.
3. Open Fitness : manage and track your workouts.
4. Kelpiesoft Food File : food database with calorie checker.
5. Body Mass Index Calculator : calculate your ideal weight.
6. Food Additives : find out exactly what you're eating.
7. RSI Warrior : prevent repetitive strain injuries.
8. Quit Counter : some help with quitting smoking.
9. Free Biorhythm Calculator : for your emotional and physical well-being.
10. Weight Tracker : take control of your diet's progress.