There was a 2-page article published in the online edition of the New York Times titled "In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop". The author mentioned 3 bloggers who had heart attacks (2 of which were fatal) that are presumed to be related to blogging.
Michael Arrington of TechCrunch was quoted as saying "At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen", that he gained 30 pounds in the last 3 years and that he developed a severe sleeping disorder.
Another opinion piece published at InformationWeek, "Blogging As Fast As We Can", suggests the high stress of blogging may be the cause. Some of the comments are worth reading.
While it's impossible to link the heart attacks specifically to blogging, it's a pretty good assumption the sedentary lifestyle attributed to most bloggers contributed to the heart attacks.
Do You Blog As Fast As You Can?
Are you trying to get the latest and the greatest posted so you can rank higher in the search engine results before anyone else does? Are you pushing yourself to post more often to increase your advertising revenue? Do you simply have a lot on your mind and need to get it "out there"? Is it an ego thing?
Even if blogging is your career and you spend countless hours doing it for whatever reasons, there are things you can do to decrease your chances of having health problems.
Get Some Exercise
I can't stress this enough. I've spent more than 30 years sitting behind a desk as my primary occupation. In the military, I spent as much time away from the desk as behind it because of my other duties. After I retired, I had to make time to get away from the desk in order to keep myself healthy. Even so, I put on extra weight which I'm only now getting rid of.
If you spend most of your day at the computer, like I do, make sure you get up and away from it at least once per hour. Even if you're watching a movie (on your computer), you should pause it and get up and walk around at least once or twice before it's over. While you're away from your computer, do some stretching exercises and work on your posture.
Your body will thank you.
Get Some Sleep
Recent research suggests 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day, even for old farts like me. If you can't sleep for a long period all at once, sleep more times per day. If for some reason I can't sleep for at least 7 hours, I'll make sure I take a nap during the day.
There is nothing, and it bears repeating, that can't wait for at least 8 hours to be published. Sitting at a computer, even if you're relaxed in your chair while staring or reading, is NOT a rest position. Get some sleep and stop worrying about it.
Again, your body will thank you.
