Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} Computers and mental/emotional health

[Mick]

On Tuesday 04 Oct 2011 04:58:00 Michael Orlitzky wrote:
> On 10/03/2011 10:19 PM, Pandu Poluan wrote:
> > If I may add: try a cup of normal (i.e. non-decaf) coffee about 1 hour
> > after you start using the computer.
>
> Ok, but how do you survive the first hour?

Coffee is a stimulant so it countenances depression, at some low level, which 
the latest research claims to have measured.

On the other hand, coffee is also a chemical which generates toxins in the 
body which increase stress, accumulation of fat, loss of hair, etc.

It seems to me that you can use coffee to publish any story in the papers that 
you happen to fancy ...

There's truth about the claim that staying indoors will not generally get you 
enough sunlight (being outdoors on a cloudy day will get you 10s to 100s times 
more light).  Sunlight is extremely important both for SAD (especially if you 
are a sufferer) and for strong bones (delaying osteoporosis).

However, what comes with advancing age is a general decline in energy and 
sight.  This means that staring at a screen causes more noticeable eye strain 
than in the past.  This also means that trying to process information which 
requires any degree of concentration/intensity will cause tiredness.  Hence, 
it sucks life out of life.  It takes longer to do what you used to do when 
younger and there's less energy to do anything else if you spend hours in 
front of a computer.

I think that the solution is to consciously try to take breaks away from 
sitting in front of a PC and engage in more physical activity - ideally 
outdoors.
-- 
Regards,
Mick