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Work Updates and Questions (Patreon)

Published:
2019-04-08 07:50:52
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Good afternoon Patrons,

Hope this post finds all of you well. I wanted to share this video to let everyone know how I intend on approaching work now that I'm independent, as well as take this opportunity to solicit advice on productivity. 

As mentioned in the video, I anticipate on releasing the next phonetics lesson approximately two days later than normal due to unforeseen pension and health complications—thank you all for your kind understanding in this regard. 

Very much looking forward to everyone's comments, as well as advice on work and productivity. Best from Beppu,

Dōgen



Files

Previews only

Work updates and questions for viewers / お知らせ

Talking about becoming a full-time YouTuber, and how I intend to change my workflow and work environment. Looking forward to everyone's comments on keyboards and general productivity. Japanese pitch-accent and pronunciation lessons on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/dogen

Comments

Ryan Cluck

Being a dad and improving your health are both great things you're doing. In regards to computer productivity and work, you might consider getting a memory foam or gel wrist support bar below your keyboard if you don't already have one.

Matt vs Japan

I used to get intense shoulder and back pain from sitting long hours at a desk. Getting a Herman Miller Embody completely cured my back pain, and getting a Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse completely cured my shoulder pain. Totally changed my life!

Peter Wilson

Hi Dogan first up I got to say I love the honesty you are showing and the respect you show your patrons by letting us know if anything is delayed or as content changes, thank you. On the productivity side in addition to improving the physical layout and the tools you use to produce the content you make, you need have a clear plan and a wide support network around you. When you are working on your own and or starting a new venture this is just as important. It is about how you hold yourself to account and utilise others as sounding boards for ideas, concerns or just to vent frustrations to. I have started new ventures and I have worked with start up`s and businesses and this is an important area that is forgotten about. Very happy to talk with you further on this any time. All the best with it.

Claudia Doppioslash

Regarding ergonomics, I have recurring shoulder pain and a vertical mouse made quite a difference. A mechanical keyboard is definitely more pleasant to work with, but I'm not sure it makes much difference for ergonomics. The thing that helped most though, was getting the help of a Restorative Exercise specialist.

Nathan Vegdahl

Pfft. Health? Family? What stupid reasons to not provide me with entertainment on a slightly faster schedule! (Just kidding, of course!)

AthenasHelm

First of all congrats on everything you've accomplished so far! Transitioning to self-employment is hard on its own and I'm sure the twins take a lot of time. Thank you for the update, I think Patreon and Youtube lends itself to this personal/behind-the-scene interactions with the creator. For your questions: I'd recommend checking out Cortex, a podcast through RelayFM. Two self-employed content makers (CGPGrey and Myke Hurley) talk about productivity, RSI, workflows, sometimes book reviews and Apple discussions. A lot of their talks pertain to things you were wondering with ergonomics and the work cycle of a self-employed person. Additionally, an adjustable height desk might be something to look into.

will newton

Let me make a major suggestion as parent to parent. Do NOT make changes in your soundproofing for your children. Play music loud, make noise, and live your life. Reserve quiet time for when YOU absolutely need a break. Your children will acclimate and sleep through anything. I made this decision myself and it paid off for the next 18 years, my daughter can sleep anytime, anywhere now. I also have herniated discs and knee issues, I highly recommend walking. It helps loosen muscles and increases blood flow, reducing inflammation. You have to figure out the right amount and speed to suit you. Also, never use heat on your back, only ice. Heat will cause swelling and can increase the pain. Glad to see you going for it on Youtube!

Mz. Ultraviolence

Hello, everyone! This is my first post here 😊 I'm an Apple-using UX Designer with RSI from track pad use, and a knee injury that is due for a second operation soon; so I feel your pain. Literally 😒 Advice: Definitely stop using trackpads and apple mice. They're for casual use, and especially not for detailed work like editing. I take my inexpensive vertical ergonomic mouse with me everywhere. It really helps. And treat yourself to a really good chair and maybe a foot rest. Check your posture at regular intervals and take breaks. R.e. Productivity: I swear by Kanban boards- a very simple project management method (originally devised by Toyota, I believe). Instead of one "to do" list, you move tasks along different columns. For example: "to do", "blocked", "doing" and "done!" The best app for this is called Trello, which is free helps me to break down my work into actionable tasks. You can assign tasks to other people and set deadlines. I Trello my entire life. Its good that there are people present at home, (especially little ones!) but do treat yourself to working from a cafe with WiFi on a frequent basis so you see other humans!

nathan Sato

Generally you have more wrist issues with a keyboard if the angle is steeper. Ie flatter keyboards has fewer issues if set at the correct height. The main issue is having shoulders/elbows at correct angle, which requires keyboard to be set at the correct height.

Julie

Posture ... stretching ... moderation. I get massages and use a topical steroid on my hands (poor metabolizer so I cannot take common dosages). You are doing great and I truly find your content inspirational. Thank you!

Johannes

If you ever make it to Tokyo or Yokohama again and are open for that, I'd like to take you to my 治療者. I injured my right knee while playing soccer some time ago but am painfree now and can do all the on-the-knees techniques done in Aikido without any issues. He also helped one of my colleagues who had a herniated disk a lot. Regarding keyboards, me (I'm a software engineer) and a lot of my colleagues are using mechanical keyboards. Specifically the happy hacking series is very popular in my office. The peoole more serious about ergonomics do use ergonomic keyboards however, ideally with the left and right parts separated for individual adjustment. I'm personally currently using the happy hacking keyboard lite2, which is less pricy than the full version but works pretty well and fulfils my three requirements to a keyboard: 1. English layout 2. Arrow keys 3. No number pad (because I have my mouse on the right) The last point brings me to the mouse: I use a ergonomic mouse. This design fits me very well, the only downside is that it can only be used with the right hand. I used to switch sides every now and then, to keep my muscles somewhat balanced, with my current mouse that's not possible. I also use the nexstand laptop stand, which I think is higher than the one you've showed in the last video, to keep the screen on my eye level when sitting straight. Adding to the above I must say I have never had any particular issues with my fingers or wrists from computer work, which I consider a good sign. But of course I also can't say if it will help you with the issues you mentioned. Last and also least, if you ever want to make a YouTube video together, please let me know.

Jeff Bernstein

First of all, congrats on your kids and transitioning to working for yourself! I was gone for a bit, but really cool to see how far everything has come with your Patreon. I actually had a pretty bad problem (still kind of recovering) with my wrists and have been recovering for the past year or so. I think the main culprit for me was the Magic Mouse, so I'd definitely recommend against ever using it. Also, depending on the severity it might be a good idea to visit a physical therapist. I went consistently for a few months and have been doing the wrist exercises they gave me since then and it's been really helpful. Mechanical keyboards can be less taxing on your joints (a membrane keyboard like the apple keyboard is essentially like typing onto a metal plate), but overall I think changing my mouse is what made the biggest difference. I'm using an Evoluent Vertical Mouse and sometimes use a Logitech MX Master (a Logitech MX Vertical Mouse came out recently too). As for keyboards I was using a split mechanical keyboard called the Matias Ergo Pro, but now switch between a Kinesis Freestyle2 and a wireless Apple keyboard. Good luck with everything and I hope your hand feels better!

Thetypebeast

Hey Dogen! My two cents worth: My experience with remote work productivity taught me a lot. Make a strict work schedule and keep to it. For example, you want to work 40hrs a week, assign your shifts, then stick to it religiously. DO NOT work overtime. Once your time is up for the day, that’s it. Don’t force yourself to “finish” a task, because it will likely snowball, and the next thing you know it’s 3am and you still haven’t finished it. Take a 5 minute break and walk away from the desk about once an hour. Look out a window, get water, and/or stretch. This will help keep the mental and physical exhaustion at bay, and get your blood moving to your extremities which is really important. Our bodies are made to move, not stay in one position for extended periods of time. If you get blocked or stuck on a challenging problem, walk away from it and work on something else; If you can, put it aside until the next day, or at the very least for a couple hours. This will allow you to clear your mind of it, and when you come back you may see something you missed before. Get out of the house, and work somewhere lively, like a park, coffee shop, etc, from time to time. Working at the same spot all the time creates a cabin fever effect (even in an office environment, which you may have noticed in the past), and now that you have the power of setting your own hours, take advantage of it. It’ll do wonders for your productivity. Consider a sit-stand desk. They can be pricey, but have a comfortable chair/stool that supports good posture, so you can rest your back and knees, and alternate sitting and standing. Again it keeps the blood flowing, which is a good thing. One last thing, you don’t mention headaches, but I know you wear glasses, so consider talking to your eye doctor about “computer glasses” to relax your eyes as you work. Looking at a monitor is kind of like staring at a flashlight. Your eyes are going to get tired of focusing between fine text and letting in the right amount of light, kind of like a camera (which were deliberately designed to mimic the human eye ☺️). I know we’re all giving you a lot to consider, but I think you’re on the right track by asking from the get-go. Trial and error will help you figure out what’s best for you, so don’t hesitate to change things up whenever you like. Best wishes to you, Dogen. I’m excited for what’s to come! ✌️

Dogen
>>21575777

Hey Matt, thanks for the comment. I've heard a lot of positive things about both of those—I'll try to see if I can find a good deal on the chair, and probably purchase the mouse right away. Thanks agian!

Dogen
>>21576001

Hi Peter, thanks for all of the tips—I hand't thought about most of these. Will do my best to try and create a clear plan for going forward. Cheers!

Dogen
>>21576200

Hi Claudia, a lot of people have been recommending vertical mice, so I'll probably try one soon. Thanks for the input!

Dogen
>>21579437

Hi Athenas, thanks for the tips. A lot of people have talked about CGPGrey—I'll be sure to check out the Cortex podcast!

Dogen
>>21579530

Hi Will, thanks for the advice, will try to take this one to heart. I don't have too many opportunities to walk as I can't really go outside without the babies, but I'm currently writing this from my exercise bike—hopefully this helps as well. Will be sure to avoid using heat on my back; thanks for the heads up!

Dogen
>>21579765

Hi Louise! Everyone is talking about vertical mice—I'll definitely pick one up soon! Thanks for letting me know about Kanban as well, I think this should help. I'll try to check out Trello! Will try to visit cafe's as well when possible haha. Cheers!

Dogen
>>21580008

Hi Nathan, thanks for the insights. I'll spend some time researching this topic, Cheers!

Dogen
>>21580931

Thanks for the feedback Julie. Got a topical steroid from the doctor yesterday for my hands—will see how it works. Cheers!

Dogen
>>21581828

Hi Johannes, thanks for the comment. A lot of people have recommended the happy hacking series—I'll try to do some research on these. I'll be sure to check out the nexstand as well; the stand I'm currently using looks nice but it's definitely too low. Will keep your invitation in mid as well—thanks for the continued support! Really appreciate it!

Dogen
>>21582884

Hi Jeff, thanks for the comment and advice. A few people have mentioned the Kinesis keyboard—I'll try to do some more research on this soon! Will definitely pick up a vertical mouse as well. Cheers!

Dogen
>>21584362

Hi Type, thanks for all of the advice, really appreciate it. I've already bought a desk, which is unfortunately non-adjustable, but I also have an exercise bike that has a table on it, which doubles as a stand desk when not in use. Will take all of your advice about creating a set work-schedule to heart as well; hadn't thought about most of these. I actually already have computer glasses as well, so I'm set there! Will try to do a bit more stretching—haven't been doing enough since I quit tricking. Thanks again for the tips!

Nicholas Koceja

It's funny you mention hair color, because mine has been thick, black, and straight my entire life. I'm only a quarter Japanese, too! Though I never really knew that it was a requirement. That does explain all the children with short straight black hair though.

Dogen
>>21637055

It certainly does! It's interesting to see how customs such as these are beginning to be questioned due to the accelerating globalization of Japan. Cheers!

Ruta Auglyte

Hey Dogen! I'd recommend using a pen tablet such as Wacom instead of mouse. I torn a TFCC, a cartilage complex in the wrist, a couple years ago. It made the use of mouse very uncomfortable and somewhat painful, and after a prolonged period of mouse usage, the pain in the wrist would expand towards a pinkie finger. Since the majority of my working time is spent using a computer/mouse, I couldn't afford the injury to affect my productivity, so I decided to give Wacom a go as we had a few of them lying around in the office. It took a few days to get used to it, but now I wouldn't go back to any other type of mouse :-) The pain in my wrist decreased significantly, and I feel like I became more efficient at what I do. It's also a fantastic tool for editing, etc. Anyway, I hope you find this useful and I hope your hand issues will get better soon :-) Ru

Dogen
>>21763245

Hi Ruta! Thanks so much for the recommendation. I was actually considering an exercise ball—I used to use one during college and liked it quite a lot. I'll check out the Wacom pen as well. Cheers!

Arctic Summer

I have had so much success with a monitor platform and vertical mouse. As a tall person with a desk job, and very prone to posture-related stress, I have found those two things together to be an absolute game changer. My monitor sits directly ahead of my eyes so I don't crane my neck downward, and my keyboard is level with my elbows. The principles around this approach struck me as very similar to the injury preventative techniques studied in advanced classical piano. I know this is a year late but I surely hope things improve/are improving for you! Best wishes from Minnesota!

Dogen
>>35537529

Thanks Arctic! I've actually been thinking about getting a monitor recently, so this is actually very timely. Thanks for your 2 cents, and good luck with your Japanese studies! Cheers!