How to Avoid Internet & Computer Burnout

**Note: the following advice comes solely from the writer's personal experience. The writer is not a paid health professional or employee of any health-related organization, and does not have a college degree specializing in any health-related field.

If you're anything like me, you spend a great deal of your daily time on the Internet. Whether you're researching, submitting articles for review and subsequent publication, playing online games, engaging in social networking, doing homework or just checking your e-mail, it can be easy to succumb to the common physical and mental fatigues associated with long hours spent online. While it has long been noted that staring at your computer screen for extended periods of time is unhealthy, there are a host of additional negative side effects associated with such activity.

According to a recent Nielsen Company (www.nielson.com) report (blog.nielsen.com), the average American Internet user now spends an estimated 68 hours online per month (the report included Internet usage at home and at work). Although television is still the highest-consumed form of media, the Internet is not lagging far behind. The striking data also revealed the average Internet user visits 2700 websites per month, retaining an average of 57 seconds of viewing time per website. Talk about speedy cyber surfing!

If all of this statistical analysis talk has your head spinning, perhaps you're one of the many who need a break from online activities. Why not try out some these helpful tips:

1. Engage in Activities/Hobbies/Socializing Outside of the Internet

As virtual worlds such as Second Life (www.secondlife.com) become increasingly popular, it may benefit you to separate the real from the unreal. In this case, try separating your Internet usage time from the real world events you enjoy. Schedule your personal and work-related Internet time slots and leave a generous amount of space for recreational activities and socialization with friends/family. Not only will this help you to escape the confines of the Web, but will simultaneously reap emotional, social and physical health benefits as well.

2. Rest Your Eyes, Neck and Fingers

If you're in for a long afternoon or night of online work, be certain to take frequent breaks. Get up from your chair, walk around the room or the house, stretching your leg muscles, arms, shoulders, etc. Remember that sitting in the same position for prolonged periods of time can cause severe spinal issues or a later tendency toward arthritis. Attempt to break for a healthy snack, such as a piece of fruit and/or a glass of juice. Avoid the temptation to ingest large amounts of sugar and caffeine.

3. Print Your Work

Whenever possible, print your online work and read and/or work from a hard copy. This will serve to rest your eyes from the intense hue of your computer screen. Extended viewing of any electronic screen has a tendency to stress the optic nerves located in your eyes, resulting in the subsequent feelings of fatigue and weariness. This is why, after several hours of screen-viewing, you tend to rub your eyes. The combination of mental and visual weariness will slowly begin to take its toll. Reading your work in print form will serve to alleviate much of the aforementioned.

4. Schedule Your Online Time & Set a Timer

If you're one of those people who enjoy the intensity of meeting a deadline, give one to yourself concerning your time on the Internet. Set an alarm to go off at a designated time, upon which you will cease all computer and Internet related activities. Stick to your deadline. Do not make excuses for why you must remain at your computer. It will still be there when you come back.

5. Maintain Social Accountability

For many of us, this Internet addiction is an issue to be taken seriously. In some cases, it may require the input and prodding of a close friend to finally pull you away from the computer. Have your friend call you, even if it is in the middle of your work time, and ask you how long you have been at the computer. If he or she believes you need a break for mental/physical health reasons, listen to their advice. Odds are your friend cares enough about you to speak the truth.

We could all give plenty of reasons to stay glued to our computers and surf the Internet. But it's time to stop making excuses. Get out there and socialize. The Internet isn't going anywhere anytime soon.