COMPUTER CARE:
PC SECURITY:
MORE RESOURCES:
|
|
 |
|
COMPUTER CARE
|
Computer Stress
by: Trevor Dumbleton
Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer
stress is the one that is on the rise the fastest. Computers
are wonderful machines, but they can also stress out workers
by their sometimes confusing demands, their constant presence
and their simple inability to work properly. Thus, computer
stress must be understood and it must find an outlet or
computer users will find themselves even more stressed
out than they already are.
The first thing to remember about computers is that they
are machines. They do not have feelings, they do not respond
to emotional appeals, they only do what they are told
to do; nothing more and nothing less. Thus, you need to
remember that just about anything that your computer does
is probably something you told it to do. Sure, you may
not have wanted to tell it to do something, but you told
the computer to do it and that's all it knows. You can
save yourself a lot of computer stress by keeping this
in mind.
The next thing you need to know in order to avoid computer
stress is that computers are machines and, therefore,
they will break down. That means that you need to keep
backup copies of everything important. If you absolutely
need a file, keep a copy on a floppy disk or on a CD.
Hard drives are well known to just give out after a while
(the average lifetime is about 4-5 years) and therefore
you need to keep backups of everything you want to keep.
If it's important enough that you want a copy, it's important
enough to keep a backup copy. The sooner you remember
to keep your computer's failing in mind, the more stress
free you will be.
Third, you need to protect your computer. On the most
basic level, that means a surge protector. A power surge
can quickly fry the delicate insides of a computer and
suddenly realizing that you need a new computer is just
about the worst computer stress of all.
As well, you need to protect your computer from outside
interference. If your computer is hooked up to the Internet,
protect it with a network firewall and anti-virus software.
There are plenty of malicious hackers out there and they
tend to enjoy watching people panic about their computers
suddenly dying. These hackers write viruses and worms
that can infect your machine and delete important files
or send out malicious emails all on their own. You do
not want to have your computer taken over like this. Save
yourself from this sort of computer stress by keeping
your system and your files secure from outside attackers.
Another way to protect your computer is to shut it down
properly. Many people simply hit the power button without
shutting down the machine first. This is a serious danger,
as it can damage the delicate circuits of the computer.
Run your computer through its shutdown system and wait
until it either turns itself off, or it tells you that
it is time to turn it off. This may not seem like a big
deal to some, but it can damage your computer in the long
run.
Computer stress can also simply arise from sitting in
front of the silly thing so long that you realize you
do not know what you are looking at any more. You know
you need to get work done on the silly machine, but you
haven't gotten anything done and the deadline is looming
and you need more time, but there isn't any and…
just slow down. If you are not getting anything done,
they save yourself some computer stress by walking away.
If you are at work, lock your screen and wander the hallways
for a bit. If you are at home, get up and go make yourself
a sandwich or something. Just walk away and you will save
yourself a lot of stress over something that is really
not a big deal.
One of the problems with living in the computer age is,
simply, the computer. However, it is only a machine and
you can learn to control it without it controlling you.
Your computer is a tool no different than a hammer or
a crowbar. So save yourself from computer stress and you
won't feel compelled to use a hammer or a crowbar on the
computer that is supposed to make your life easier.
About The Author
Trevor Dumbleton is the owner of http://www.LowerYourStress.com/,
a categorized resource directory for everything to do
with stress. |
|
