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For most of us, we’ve started to get the whole online classes thing down. You wake up, fire up Zoom, study on your laptop, eat, sleep, repeat. In some ways, moving to online classes is very convenient. For starters, you can wear whatever you want and you can just sit in the same place all day without having to move from point A to point B. We don’t really think about the minor inconveniences that adjusting to online classes brings to our body. We may notice a slight muscle pain in our neck and shrug it off. Or we might notice our eyes getting more and more tired but just end up ignoring it.Â
Of course, if online classes are truly affecting you mentally and physically, you should consult a doctor. But if you’re sitting there thinking there must be something out there to help with the minor inconveniences of staring at your laptop screen all day, then follow along to see if this list contains any things you need for online classes.Â
We’ve all been in a situation where life’s distractions got in the way of our studying. Back in the good ol’ days, we could just head to the library. But now? Do yourself a favor and purchase a pair of noise cancelling head phones. They’ll save you time and headaches for whenever life’s outside noises try to keep you from studying.Â
We’ve all heard the 20-20-20 rule to avoid eye strain: take a 20 second break for every 20 minutes staring at a screen and look 20 feet away. Blue light glasses are no substitute for this, but they can help reduce eye strain and improve your sleeping especially if you’re on your computer before going to bed. As an added bonus, these blue light glasses will help you explore new frame styles and look your best while on Zoom meetings or studying.
3. F.lux
In addition to blue light glasses, you should check out f.lux. It’s a computer extension that changes your computer’s screen throughout the day to help alleviate eye strain. For example, closer to sunset, it will change your computer’s light to have a warmer tone that is easier on your eyes. It does so automatically and you can change the settings to fit your preferences.
4. Happy Light
By now, can you tell that light is important? As the months grow colder and many of us will not be able to study outside, it’s important to have exposure to light during the day to help our mood and stave off the winter blues. Having a “Therapy Lamp” is no substitute for actual therapy, but one added benefit is turning it on in the morning to feel more awake and ready to start the day.
Do you ever catch yourself slouching in your chair with shoulders rounded towards your computer? Are you doing that right now? You may want to consider a posture corrector to help you maintain proper posture during all those long study hours. You may find it helps you avoid pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. It’ll help improve your muscle memory to hold proper posture throughout the day.
If you find yourself staring down at your laptop screen, you may be causing extra neck strain that can be avoided. Check out this laptop stand that is adjustable to become a standing desk on a table or a lap desk while your sitting in bed or on your couch. It’s versatility will allow you to change up your study location and reduce neck and back pains.
If your lower back is bothering you, it could be due to lack of support from your office chair. We’ve already talked about a posture corrector, but this office chair support will cushion your lower back so it doesn’t have to constantly be tensed to maintain proper posture.
