Home Treatment for Repetitive Stress Injury

There are lots of software programs out there to help make typing and mousing quicker and easier — and that means less clicks to make your wrists and fingers twinge with overuse pain.

Gmail Labs recently opened up some new apps for Gmail that can make navigation a bit quicker and easier, like the following:

• Custom keyboard shortcuts–Lets you customize keyboard shortcut mappings. Adds a new Settings tab from which you can remap keys to various actions.
• Email Addict–Lets you take a break from email and chat by blocking the screen for fifteen minutes and making you invisible in chat.
• Mouse gestures–Use your mouse to navigate with gestures. Hold right-click and move the mouse left to go to a previous conversation, move it right to go to the next conversation, and move up to go back to the inbox view. Works best on Windows.
• Canned Responses–Email for the truly lazy. Save and then send your common messages using a button next to the compose form. Also automatically send emails using filters.
• Create a Document–Allows you to create a Google Document from an email conversation or a new blank document if your keyboard shortcuts are enabled by hitting ‘g’ then ‘w’.
• Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat–Allows you to send and receive text messages (SMS) in Chat. US phones only for now.

There’s a lot of other nifty ones, but these should get you off to a good start. All you have to do is open your gmail account, then click the little green beaker icon in the top right of your screen (next to your email address). Then browse the options, enable the ones you like, and save the changes at the bottom of the screen. And then, play and see which work best for you.

Related posts:

1. Improve Your Mousing Style: How to Click and Point More Comfortably
2. New Laptop Stand from Ergotron for Comfortable Laptop Use
3. A Brief History of Typing–and Why The Dvorak Layout Won’t Heal/Prevent RSI
4. Alternative Ergonomic Mice–the Comprehensive Guide
5. DIY Computer Input Devices