How much time should we pend in front of a computer (when our work depends on being online)?
I probably spend more than 10 hours a day at my computer… and I know it’s not ideal. It is actually bad.
It has quite a few negative effects – on our eyes, posture, stress levels, and overall well-being.
Even though I try to balance it with activities like going outside or exercising, it still feels like it’s not enough.
Makers, how many hours do you spend at your computer every day, and how do you give yourself permission to step away from it?
I think this is especially challenging for people working in social media. Your job requires you to scroll through endless content, deal with information overload, communicate with people, and stay constantly connected. Then after work, you often end up using social media again for your own personal interests.
How do you create healthy boundaries when being online is literally part of your job?
Replies
I can definitely relate to this. Most days I spend well over 10 hours in front of my computer, and while I make time for walks or exercise, I've realized that one hour of activity doesn't completely offset sitting at a desk for the rest of the day.
What has helped me most is treating breaks as part of my work instead of something that takes time away from it. Even a short walk, stepping outside for fresh air, or simply looking away from the screen for a few minutes makes a noticeable difference.
I also think people who work in social media have an even bigger challenge. When your job requires you to be online all day, it's difficult to mentally "clock out." Creating intentional offline time—without notifications or endless scrolling—seems just as important as getting enough exercise.
Thanks for bringing this up. It's a reminder that building sustainable habits is just as important as building products.
I spend hours without even realizing it
I also spend more than 10 hours but it is mostly focused on between 7am-8pm. I have no screen time after 8pm or before 7 am (I get up several hours before 7am). In my office, I setup a walking pad so that I can walk a few times during the day while reading or listening to something.
the boundary that actually worked for me wasn't a screen time limit, it was moving anything read-only (news, notifications, feeds) to my phone and keeping the laptop for output only. doesn't cut total hours but it changes what those hours feel like, staring at a screen while actively building something is a completely different kind of tired than doom-scrolling for the same two hours
Question on timing — if you're prepping a first launch, how many days out should you start being active in discussions before it stops looking like 'just here for launch week' and starts looking genuine? Trying to figure out where that line actually is.
First, your health is very important. So as long as you're moving, exercising, using the correct sitting posture, eating well and standing at intervals, you should be okay. But then, get photochromic glasses if you spend a lot of time in front of your computer. You shouldn't damage your eyes just because you're grinding. You might also want to get a smart watch while at it. I have one that monitors my vitals and tells me when I've been sitting for too long. That too works and keeps you alive and healthy while you build.
I spend more time working on computer than sleeping :/
I used to think the solution was simply spending less time in front of the screen.
Now I see it differently.
The real challenge isn't screen time—it's context switching.
Every notification, every tab, every feed asks your brain to become someone else for a few seconds. By the end of the day, it's not just your eyes that are tired—it's your sense of direction.
I've started treating attention as a finite resource rather than an unlimited one. Instead of asking, "How many hours did I spend online?" I ask, "How many of those hours moved me toward something meaningful?"
Sometimes 10 focused hours are healthier than 4 fragmented ones.
For me, the healthiest boundary isn't always stepping away from the computer. It's protecting the quality of attention while I'm using it.