No Sweat, It's Just A Computer

Contributed by Jay Schroyer

In the classic eighties television series Knight Rider, David Hasselhoff’s character, Michael, fought crime with his best friend and sidekick K.I.T.T., who was a computer that took the form of a Pontiac Trans Am. Even in the worst kinds of danger, Michael never stressed about whether or not K.I.T.T. would perform when he needed him most. He never worried about not knowing how to operate the oil slick or smoke screen functions. And he most certainly never worried about whether or not K.I.T.T. would survive the long haul. So why was Michael so confident? He was confident because K.I.T.T received regular maintenance and was prepared for the absolutely worse scenario possible and Michael always kept himself abreast of the new technology.

Our computers, unfortunately, are not as sentient as K.I.T.T. and not all of us have the use of a high-tech mobile garage to perform complex diagnostic and preventative maintenance. But, there are a few quick and easy things that we can do to help lower our computer induced stress level.

Computer Health
I cannot stress this point enough: you need to conduct preventative maintenance on your computer at least once a month. Conducting this maintenance will eliminate the stress of worrying whether or not your computer will operate correctly when you need it most. These maintenance items include: checking the surge protector, defragmenting the hard drive, updating your virus protection program, backing up your most important files, blowing dust and dirt away with canned air, and following standard protocol for shut down and restart operations. There is even a program on your computer that will schedule these tasks for you so that you don’t have to remember when to do them. Your anti-virus protection should prompt you when there are updates to download and just like any costly possession, if it gets dirty, clean it. Do not simply push the power button when shutting down for the night. Follow the steps to properly end your programs and shut the computer down. It will save you a fortune in the long run. Your computer will also be more stable and reliable if you follow the standard procedures for care and cleaning.

Learning Curve
Another computer related item that can cause great stress is lack of computer knowledge. If you are beyond the basic computer instruction level, then this might not be much of a worry for you. But some people have very limited computer experience and wouldn’t even know where to begin to initiate certain operations. This lack of knowledge causes great stress among users. The only way to avoid stress like this is to educate yourself. Look into online computer classes if you don’t have time to attend a class or any other available PC training to eradicate this possible stress causing route. If you know that you will be producing a lot of work in Excel®, take the time to learn as much as you can to apply it to your current project. Researching for the knowledge you need will not only relieve your anxiety and stress about computers, but will also make you look like a rock star among your contemporaries when you’re the only one there who knows how to perform a specific task.

Operator Health
As important as it is to consider your computer’s health, don’t forget one of the more important parts of the equation: your health. The simple act of sitting at a computer for extended periods of time can cause all sorts of physical stress: eye strain, back pain, wrist complications, and neck troubles. You may not even realize it, but because you’ve been sitting for four hours straight, you’ve placed a lot of stress on your neck which has started a slow, throbbing headache which in turn has started to eat away at your usually high-level of patience. Suddenly, you feel trapped, out of time, and begin to think that you’ll never get your current project done on time. You snap, yelling at people, the phone, the computer, and generally making yourself more stressed and more miserable. Take a deep breath and get up from your computer. Go for a quick walk. Have a snack. Do anything, but do not go back to that computer until you have cooled down. Would it surprise you to learn that a major source of our own stress is caused by us?

So what has Knight Rider taught us about our own computer stress? By being prepared and taking care of our computers, we can avoid issues that cause stress. Computer maintenance won’t take the stress or burden off of you when it comes to producing a massive presentation, but what it will do is make manipulating and saving that massive presentation safe and secure. By learning as much as we can about the machines and programs we will be using, we can limit stress to only the things that are most important such as our current projects. And finally, if we watch out for our own health and well-being, we can avoid stress all-around and not even contemplate blaming our computers for causing it.

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About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English writing and communication.

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