For those who have a 9-5 know that the struggle is real when it comes to sitting in front of the computer for 8 hours. Many who have physically demanding laborious jobs don't understand why those of us who "sit at a desk all day" are even tired.
I was fortunate enough to take part in an ergonomic training class with my current company and learned great information regarding this topic and I'd love to share it.
Let me break it down for those who don't understand as to why we're so tired at the end of each day.
- Our bodies were not built to sit down for 8 straight hours and be in front of a "TV" screen.
- As we are sitting our spines are curving inward and therefore causing back, neck, and shoulder pain.
- In an effort to be comfortable throughout the day we tend to slouch which then causes our neck and shoulders to hold the weight of our heads. Care to guess how much our heads weigh? 8-11 pounds!
- Our brain is working 100% of the time as we're constantly having to answer emails, enter data, answer phones, work on spreadsheets, etc. These are high demand jobs that require a great deal of attention and speed since our technology is constantly updated.
Having had a desk job for the last 6 years has definitely taken a toll mentally and physically. Just 2 years ago I had to purchase my first pair of glasses to relieve my strained eyes from looking at 3 monitors at once. I've had to regularly visit a chiropractor to relieve my back pain. I've had pinched nerves periodically that are quite bothersome. Lastly, I've gained weight from sitting all day long and having food constantly catered from clients.
That last one is definitely a first world problem that I'm grateful for, but for someone who does not enjoy exercising at all, it's been difficult to maintain my weight.
Here are some helpful tips I've learned from the training course to help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort for those who have desk jobs.
- If you are fortunate enough to have sit-stand desks like my job has provided, try to stand for at least 2.5 hours each day.
- Take a water or bathroom break anytime you feel uncomfortable in your chair and/or constantly moving to find a comfortable spot.
- Use a medicine ball instead of a chair.
- Sit all the way back in your chair so that you are upright.
- Make sure your keyboard is level to where your arms bend so that you are not having to lift your arms, which by the way can weigh up to 17 pounds.
- Use the 80/20 rule to determine the top 20% items you use 80% of the time and place them within hand's reach. (In my case I have my phone, post-it notes, notepad, pen, and paperclips within hand's reach as they are the items I use most.)
- If available, use padding on your mouse pads and keyboards to provide extra support to our wrists. (Something new I learned today, it turns out Doctors are misdiagnosing carpel tunnel as a way to perform surgery when in fact it may be a case of stressed/damaged nerves from poor posture.)
- Purchase a footrest for your feet to elevate/extend your legs to provide comfort and relieve stress.
Hopefully these tips will help you relieve some stress and/or pain from sitting at your desk all day. I'm truly blessed to work for a company that has provided all 70 of us with sit-stand desks. If your office is small enough and you have a great working relationship with your manager, I'd definitely suggest the sit-stand desk. With the push of a button my desk goes from seating level to standing in a matter of seconds.
For many who have never had a desk job it's simple to suggest we just find something else, but someone needs to get the job done. ;)
If after reading this you try any of the suggestions above, please let me know how it works for you, I'd love to find out if it makes a difference for anyone.
So now that my fiancé and I are engaged the pressure of planning the wedding begins.
Where are we going to have the wedding?
How much do we want to spend?
Who are we going to invite?
What will our colors be? Theme?
Who are we going to have in our bridal party?
What kind of center pieces do we want?
The list goes on and on with how much planning needs to happen. As if the stress of how much money we need to save in order to spend it all on one day isn't enough, the "when are you going to have a baby" question comes up.
You're not getting any younger.
You don't want to be too old when your child is growing up.
You can have a baby right now, no one is ever ready.
As much as having a family is a desire of mine, that is still something that I hope won't happen for another 2-3 years. I know that no one is ever ready to have kids, but to have the ability to wait until we're financially ready is something I plan to take advantage of.
So many people are in a rush to do things because they feel like that is what they should be doing next. There isn't a timeline of how your life should be. You are the person who decides when you're ready to begin chapters in your life, no one else. Not only have I witnessed many in my family struggle, but so many acquaintances that I know who rushed into marriage and kids only to feel like they missed out or that they should have waited.
Not many people know what I went through 4 years ago, but having that question asked definitely brings up sad memories. It makes me question again whether I'll be able to have children, whether God will allow me the privilege to get pregnant knowing what I have done. Of course it's not something I'm going to respond with each time I'm asked, but it's important to be mindful when asking a person when and if they're having children. One never knows whether they're not able to, whether they've been trying for years, or if they simply don't want children. It's not fair to assume everyone is on the same page as you and it's certainly not fair to continuously ask a person whom has already made it clear that they are not ready.
Just over Thanksgiving vacation, my fiancé and I were having brunch with his dad, siblings, and nieces. The wedding planning was brought up and his sister asked when we plan on having kids.
SIL: So are you guys going to have kids right away?
Me: No, we'd like to be married at least one year before trying.
SIL: Why not? You should start right away.
Me: No, I'd like to enjoy being married and be selfish with my husband before having a family.
SIL: But you're not getting any younger, there's no reason to wait.
Me: Well we're not financially stable and I would love to buy a house first so that we can have space for the baby.
SIL: Plenty of people have had kids in apartments, it's no big deal.
Me: That is true, but I'd rather not struggle to find a place and move since we'd grow out of it so fast.
SIL: My brothers going to be so old by the time you decide to have kids!
You can imagine the frustration I felt after the second statement and having to defend my choice. One thing is to ask someone and them tell you no, another is to give reasons as to persuade you against your decision. This isn't the first time this has been discussed with my family-in-laws. I've had numerous conversations with my MIL to which she's responded, you guys already live together why wait now.
I'm not sure how many times I have the patience to answer this very same question from the same people, but I'm hoping after a while they give up on asking. Just as I don't pressure others about certain life choices they could be making, I don't want it done to me.
It's my body, my uterus, my future, my worry, my life change, my planning, my decision!
Not to mention, my future husband and I agree that it's not something ready quite ready for and would love the opportunity to enjoy the bliss of being married.
I'm sure there have been many before me that have gone through this and there will continue to be many after me. I just pray that people learn to keep their nose in their own business and not in those of others. It's hard enough having to live in the world we live in today, let's not add more stress to each other's lives. Let's be understanding, compassionate, and less opinionated on the matters of others.
Shocked, surprised, happy, excited, emotional and blessed is what I felt the moment my boyfriend turned to me and bent down on one knee.
We were standing on the bridge with the Harry Potter Hogwarts castle behind us as we posed for a picture. Once the picture was taken he turned to me and got on one knee. I immediately started to tear up with how excited I was. "I know this is the happiest place for you and because of that I want to make you even happier by asking you, would you marry me?" I said of course and as he got up to hug me we heard cheering from the crowd who had stood around to watch. I felt like I was in a movie and it was incredibly romantic.
My love knows I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and we had gone to Islands of Adventure that day for my birthday to enjoy Hogsmeade and some Butterbeer. It is most definitely going to be an unforgettable 26th birthday for sure!
I'd be lying if I said this is where I envisioned my future to look like. At 20, and nearing the end of a very long relationship with my high school sweetheart, I already had it in mind that I probably wouldn't marry in the future. It wasn't until the day I realized I loved my now fiancé that I began to picture what my wedding would be like. Never did I imagine myself in a dress, picking out decorations or even walking down the aisle. Yet here I am, engaged and in the first stages of planning what we hope to be an October wedding next year.
One thing I do want to share with anyone who reads my blog is that it's all in God's timing. It's never how we plan it out to be or how we imagine it in our heads to be and I'm glad that it wasn't. God knew I needed to mature and become a better person in order for Him to bring Mando into my life. He knew that once I began to admit my faults and focus on eliminating them that I'd be ready to be a wife. I cannot stress enough how important it is for the nagging to stop, the harassing of "when are you going to ask me," and "make sure you get me this ring", etc. A man will be happier if he knows that he alone made the decision to ask you to be his wife, not because you forced him to ask you. Be happy and content with what you have and if you find that you can't then maybe you're not with the right person. I can only guarantee that when it does finally happen and the love of your life asks you to marry them, it'll be the most magical day of your life!
