Programmer Neck

I have a theory. Software Development is hard on your body.

What??

Yeah, I didn't think that either until 2.5 years after starting my big-girl software development job. Now I am in pain. All the time.

I have Programmer Neck. I don't know if that's a common term, but I use "Programmer Neck" to describe when a programmer's head juts forward like a turtle. Maybe it's from straining forward to see code on the monitor more clearly; I don't know. What I do know is that I felt devastated when I looked in the mirror and saw that I looked like a turtle instead of a Disney princess.

The blow to my self-image isn't the worse part though. I felt hope slip from me as I tried to push past my pain to live each day. When despair and self-loathing entered the picture, I knew I needed to make changes.

I bought a new bed.

I slept in a cavern in my old bed, so I never woke up rested but was always tight and in pain. My new mattress gives my body proper support, so I wake up more refreshed with no tightness or pain. I haven’t even had to take my lunch and after-work naps!

With my renewed hope, I am planning on making more changes to help with my pain.

Visit my optometrist.

When text on the screen looks like it has a fuzzy border, it's time to go see the eye doctor. Fuzzy vision alone makes me strain forward to see the screen better. (One of eyeglass lenses might have popped out, so until I get that fixed I've been forced to use my contacts which seem weaker than my glasses.)

Buy desk chair.

I work from home part of the week, so I need a desk chair at home that encourages proper posture.

Buy better monitor(s).

I've been eyeballing curved ultrawide monitors, but anything will be better than my 13.3 inch screen. Whatever I get, I will make sure my monitors are at the right height to help with my posture.

Buy ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

I gotta protect my wrists!

Start exercising.

*shudders* I have definitely embraced the sedentary lifestyle of a programmer, so muscle atrophy is definitely going on. Somebody recommended Pilates to me recently, so maybe I’ll check that out.

Fix up my work station.

When I went into work recently, I realized that I'm slumping to see my monitors better and that I have to put my feet up on the legs of my chair just so that I'm not cutting off circulation in my legs. I’m in the office 24 hours a week, so that's gotta be affecting my body.

If you’re starting your career in software development (or really any desk job), please don’t wait 2.5 years later to start protecting your body. Any healthy habits you develop now will serve you well the rest of your life.

If you’ve been developing way longer than me, may I offer hope to you that it’s not too late? Talk with your doctor about ways to reduce your pain and protect your body from future injuries. Please don’t wait longer to get relief from your pain.