Getting the greatest benefit from WorkPace often requires a change in your work habits – taking breaks more often, and doing stretches and exercises regularly. This can take a while to get used to, but in the long-term is beneficial by increasing your comfort at the computer, and even improving your productivity.
We recommend you go through the following steps when first using WorkPace.
- Complete the WorkPace Multimedia Training to learn about the concepts of muscle fatigue and recovery, preventing computer-related injuries, and how WorkPace works.
- Use the Setup Wizard to create a settings profile customized to your needs.
- Use WorkPace for a few weeks remembering to take micropauses and breaks correctly. Persevere even if you find WorkPace a bit irritating at first. After a while you should adapt to your new, better working regime.
- After using WorkPace for a few weeks you can try adjusting some of the settings. See the section "Fine-Tuning WorkPace" for suggestions.
Always remember!
- When and how often you take breaks is more important than how long they are.
- WorkPace only prompts you if you do not take breaks yourself.
- When you are working under stress, or to a deadline, taking breaks may seem inconvenient, but this is the time when you really need them, as it is when you are most at risk.
- Taking breaks guided by WorkPace will ensure you spend the least time taking breaks for the greatest benefit. For most people WorkPace breaks take less than 10 minutes a day!
- Using WorkPace often requires a change in work habits. Try to vary your work as much as you can and, where possible, alternate between computer and non computer-based tasks (for example, reading, filing).
- Remember to drop your hands, relax your muscles, and look away from your computer screen during micropauses, otherwise they will not be as effective.
