Laptop Ergonomics and Noisy Distractions
Laptop Ergonomics and Noisy Distractions
Long stretches on a laptop aren't ideal as it's hard to adjust the computer to reduce strain on your body. Many editors work on a desktop computer, set up nicely in a home office, and use a laptop for editing on the go or to get a break from sitting at a desk. Editing on the couch or in bed or lying on a blanket in the park, while fine for a while, is not good for your body and should be avoided or kept to a minimum.
But if you only have a laptop, here are some tips for how to set up your workstation: Invest in a docking station, keyboard, and mouse. A big monitor is also worth looking into, but for now, let's assume you don't have one. Set up your desk the same way you would for a desktop computer. Set your laptop flat on the desk with the screen tilted 100°–150°. Make sure your eye level is two inches below the top of the screen. Use a wireless keyboard and mouse so they can be positioned as described previously. You won't believe how much easier and faster it is to use a mouse instead of the trackpad on your laptop.
Editing requires a lot of concentration, and some people need quiet for this, but we can't always control the noise level of our environments. Maybe you work in a busy office, or your neighbor likes to play death metal when you're working, or a new apartment building is going up across the street. You find yourself not concentrating, reading the same thing over and over, and getting angry about it.
Unfortunately, you have to learn to live with the noise and how to be productive in spite of it. Here are a few tips.
Move, if possible. If you're in a noisy area of the house, take your laptop and move outside or find a quiet place. Take the easy way out!
Don't be hungry or tired. It sounds silly, but these states make you easily distractible, and any little thing (such as people talking or construction noise) can make you lose your concentration. Get a snack, or get up and walk around; take a power nap if possible.
Visualize what you're trying to concentrate on. If it's an experiment in a lab, imagine the procedures the researchers were performing; if it's a travel brochure about Fiji, imagine yourself there; and if it's a fiction manuscript, imagine you're in the story. You'll be less distractible if you're a little deeper into the material.
Do some deep breathing. Taking a minute to focus on deep, calming breaths will leave you feeling refreshed and in a better mindset to ignore noise.
Meditate. Daily meditation has been shown to increase concentration and focus.
Block out the noise. This is by far the most popular response to noise, and most people use music, earplugs, or noise-cancelling headphones.
[/unordered_list] If you decide to go this route, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, if you listen to music, make sure it doesn't have lyrics and isn't too familiar. If your favorite song comes on, you may be tempted to hum or sing along, which takes your concentration away from your work. If music doesn't work for you, you could try listening to one of the colors of noise (e.g., pink, brown, white); these are different frequencies and are good at masking different types of noise (e.g., construction, human voices), and they're also readily available online.
There are some problems with blocking out noise, especially if you use a few of these techniques frequently. First, you may be tempted to turn the music up too loud, causing hearing damage. Second, even if you're just using earplugs, prolonged non-exposure to noise when you're working actually makes you hypersensitive to it. So if you start working every day with earplugs, it's difficult to go back to not using them, as whatever sounds you're trying to block out will be even more distracting than they were before you started using earplugs. This is why the best way of dealing with distracting noise may be to . . .
Improve your concentration. Concentration levels aren't set in stone; you can change them with practice (which is why meditation is so helpful for dealing with noise: the first thing you do in meditation is work on your concentration). Noise is going to happen, and you still need to get work done. Train yourself to ignore noises that aren't relevant to what you're doing: when you're getting distracted, challenge yourself to continue editing for five more minutes before putting on your headphones (or taking some other measure), and next time for ten more, and then fifteen more. You'll find you get better at it, and eventually you won't even notice those noises that used to bother you. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you will be much happier and more productive in your noisy environment. Some editors even find they get too good at it, blocking out sounds they want to hear (such as an alarm going off or a phone ringing).
Be aware of your emotional reaction to noise. Let's face it: noise bothers some people more than others. Imagine you're trying to edit a document and your coworker is loudly explaining the details of his new car to another coworker. First you notice it, and then you start to get annoyed, and then you start getting really annoyed, and then you're angry. The impromptu chat breaks up, but you're unable to concentrate on editing. It takes a while before you can concentrate again. In this case, and in many cases, your frustration and anger at the noise can be more distracting than the noise itself. Recognizing your emotional reaction to noise and taking steps to let it go (e.g., deep breathing, taking a short walk) can be very helpful and can minimize the distraction noise causes and the subsequent effect on your productivity.
Last Updated: 10/01/2022