Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is sneaky. It can lie dormant for days, weeks, or months. However, if I don’t pace myself and give my body routine breaks, an RA flare-up pops up—as expected!
As a full-time writer, I must be incredibly mindful about how much time I spend on the keyboard. When I use my fingers and wrists for repetitive movements, in the same position, for too long, they seize up and become difficult to use.
Today, I’m sharing how I balance a writing career while managing RA.
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1. I Work in Short Time Blocks
My work is based on project deadlines, not a time clock. I’m grateful for this flexibility and ability to schedule my working hours around my health needs.
To best manage the swelling and joint pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, I limit the number of hours I work at my desk at a time.
I usually do a two-hour block in the morning, then take a short desk break. Then, I work another two or three hours. Sometimes I come back to my desk later in the evening for another two to three hours, depending on my workload.
Typing uses so many small joints and muscles in the hands. By spacing out this repetitive activity, I reduce my hand pain significantly.
2. I Give My Hands Intentional Breaks
When I take the earlier-mentioned breaks, I am truly giving my fingers and wrists the rest they need. I’m not washing dishes, folding laundry or writing my grocery list.
Instead, I take active hand breaks where I sit on the front porch while my dog plays in the yard, listen to a meditation, watch a show on TV, or take nap. All of these activities are intentional so my hands can rest.
3. I Take Supplements to Reduce Inflammation
Each morning and evening I take a few herbal supplements to reduce the inflammation in my body.
Over the years I’ve discovered my magic combination is turmeric and aronia berry. I learned about the berries from my veterinarian! When the aronia berry worked to help my aging dog climb steps again, I decided to give it a try too.
4. I Use Voice-Activated Software to Write
I juggle my writing tasks among my desktop computer, laptop and smartphone. I love the versatility!
When I know I’ve been working long hours, or I simply need a break, I switch over to using voice-activated technology to get my words onto the screens. On my desktop computer, my go-to is the Voice Typing feature under the Tools menu on Google Docs. I use my Turtle Beach microphone and get clear, crisp voice recordings and transcriptions. I also use the talk-to-text feature often on my cellphone.
5. I Have Wrist Support at My Desk
My preferred writing location is in my cozy home office where I have a wrist pad below my Das mechanical keyboard and a wrist support on my mousepad.
These may seem like little things, but when you literally spend hours each day typing, having that extra cushioning is noticeable. I use the colorful Galaxy ArtSo Upgraded Wrist Rest Support for Mouse Pad & Keyboard from Amazon.
6. I Take Care of My Whole Body
I firmly believe in the mind, body, soul connection. To help alleviate physical pain, I work on calming my mind so I can fully relax my muscles and let my body heal.
I love going to yoga classes, doing breathwork, listening to meditations on Insight Timer, drinking herbal teas, visiting with my mental health counselor, getting massages and so much more! I truly think doing these things regularly keeps my body in better balance so I’m less likely to experience an RA flare.
Do you spend hours at your desk? How do you keep your fingers and wrists from getting sore? I’m always open to learning more tips and tricks! Comment below.
Until next time,
Choose healthy!
Angela
PS: Wonder what I’m up to this week? Visit me on Facebook at Cupcakes and Yoga Pants!
