I've been an active journalist for nearly 15 years, which means hundreds of hours of typing on a laptop computer In addition, I've spent thousands of hours holding a video game controller in my lifetime, so it's not surprising that I have serious hand and wrist pain

I know because one day in my mid-30s, I started noticing pain in my hands that wouldn't go away after a good night's sleep, and within a year of that initial pain, I started having pain all over my arms

Various medical professionals diagnosed these problems as RSI, carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, or simply overuse Whatever you want to call it, the result of using my body for long periods of time in unnatural postures was that I suffered from chronic pain

But I wasn't going to give up writing any time soon, and since I was reviewing laptops and tablets for this Tom's Guide, I had to relearn how to use these gadgets effectively without hurting myself Although I have improved a lot over the past few years, I still suffer from chronic pain It drives me a little crazy to think that much of this suffering could have been prevented if I had been more knowledgeable and more careful

So please don't be like me I want you to think about the way you live and work Even if you don't suffer from pain, please give some thought to how you can do things in a more comfortable and more natural way now so that you won't suffer in the future For example, working on a laptop computer tends to involve turning your head for long periods of time, and the same goes for washing dishes Anything you can do to free yourself from unnatural postures, whether at home or at work, will pay huge dividends throughout your life

Cameron Stiehl is an experienced Bay Area-based ergonomist who has done ergonomic work for clients such as Cisco, Coinbase, and Twitter She is far more experienced and knowledgeable than I am That's why I'm so grateful that she recently called me to give me some advice on how to work comfortably on my laptop

"Yes, I strongly recommend working during breaks 'If you have to work on your laptop, it shouldn't be for very long Get up and leave the laptop fairly often"

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us still work at least in part remotely, and that work tends to be done on a laptop If you carry your laptop frequently and work on the go, I recommend the following three simple upgrades

I first recommended this $45 laptop stand in Tom's Guide It changed the way I work because it folds up small enough to fit in a backpack, yet allows me to raise my laptop (to near eye level) Keeping the display at eye level is one of the secrets to working painlessly Since I started using a laptop stand, I have much less pain and discomfort when working on my laptop

I was pleased to discover that the laptop stand was the first thing Steele recommended for working with a laptop with less pain You can buy a folding one like mine for travel, or a more upscale and nicer model for use at home We've even picked up a few for our best laptop stands list, but the key is to buy one that allows you to adjust the height of the laptop screen to your comfort level

"Having a laptop riser is important because it allows you to adjust the height of your laptop screen to your comfort level 'If you're using it at home, you don't have to move it around so much, there are sturdy ones that you can keep on your desk and they work really well If you are 6'3" and I am 5'9", we would need slightly different heights, right?"

The next thing worth investing in is a quality ergonomic keyboard and mouse for use with a laptop I used to have nothing but respect for the classic rectangular QWERTY keyboard, but I've forgotten all about that now Now, I have spent years trying to overcome the unnatural contortion of my hands to type on these miserable boards crammed with keys I much prefer to use the Keyboardio Model 100 ($349), an ergonomic mechanical keyboard in two pieces

This type of split keyboard is less painful to use because I can move each half to where my hands are most comfortable You can read more about how this keyboard has changed the way I work here, but even if you are willing to pay $350 for a keyboard, this may not be the best fit for you

The same goes for the mouse; you'll want to try alternative designs like a vertical or trackball mouse to see if they are more comfortable

"There are a million different portable keyboards and mice out there I have a few that I like, but anything is better than using only a laptop," says Steele

"There are keyboards I'm starting to recommend more It's a portable, small, sleek, split keyboard with a switch that switches from PC to Mac so anyone can use it" It folds in half and is essentially two small square keyboards that can be set at whatever split angle you need It can also be tented if needed to keep the arms in full pronation But it can also be folded in half and put in a bag It's so easy There is no way not to use it"

Finally, take a break One of the biggest things that has helped me overcome chronic hand and wrist pain is to take regular breaks every 30 minutes to stretch Even if you are not in pain (yet), I highly recommend doing the same if you can Some people aren't lucky enough to work in an office where they can take regular breaks, but it's important for their long-term health

I like to use my old Amazon Echo Dot in the kitchen to run a 30-minute timer while I work, but just use whatever is easiest for you When traveling, I sometimes carry a cheap little egg timer so I don't forget to take a break, but I don't bother using my phone

"We all have timers on our phones, so we can set a 20-minute timer and take a break when it goes off," Steele recommends [16] [17] "Time spent on any device, especially a laptop, makes a big difference So I strongly recommend taking breaks to work If you have to work on a laptop, it shouldn't be for very long Make sure you get up and leave the laptop fairly often Someone who works on a laptop for nine hours straight will get hurt"

You may not plan to work on a laptop for nine hours today, but if you are anything like me, you will spend more time squatting over the keyboard than you care to admit Computing in unhealthy postures can quickly become painful

So if you work regularly with a laptop or PC, pay attention to your body and how you feel at work If you feel tired or uncomfortable, do something about it If you regularly feel fatigue or muscle tension in the same areas while working, that can be a good warning sign that something needs to be addressed

"Early signs would be tension, especially in the neck and shoulders, or fatigue If your wrists are getting tired or your hands feel tired at the end of the day, something may be going on Fatigue and muscle tension are really a big deal" By the time you get to the point of actual discomfort, numbness, or tingling, you may have done a lot of damage But if you can detect it early enough in the tension stage of fatigue or mild discomfort, it's easy to unwind"

As someone who is currently going through the painful, costly, multi-year process of unwinding a lifetime's worth of bad posture and screen time, do me a favor: don't ignore ergonomics in your daily life I promise you