Spent 2 years working from hostels and finally figured out why my back hurt

I've been bouncing around Southeast Asia as a digital nomad for a while now, and I always thought hostel common areas were fine for getting stuff done. Last month I was in Chiang Mai and my lower back was killing me after just an hour of typing. I kept blaming the cheap mattresses or bad posture, but then I noticed I was always slouching on these low couches with my laptop on my knees. A guy at the hostel pointed out that I needed a table that hit at elbow height, not just any flat surface. I realized I had been doing this wrong for literally 2 years because I was too cheap to pay for a coworking space. Now I spend like $5 a day at a spot in Chiang Mai with proper desks and my back is way better. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized your workspace setup was ruining your health without you noticing?

2 comments

2 Comments

drewsullivan21d ago

Twenty years ago I spent six months in a hostel in Buenos Aires working off a wooden crate and a rolled up towel for lumbar support, and I thought I was a genius. My back felt great because I was 26 and could sleep on concrete. Then I turned 40 and suddenly my body remembered every stupid ergonomic choice I ever made. I agree with you about moving around every 20 minutes, that's solid advice, but the hammock thing scares me a little. I fell asleep in a hammock with a laptop once and woke up with the screen cracked and a neck spasm that lasted a week. Maybe I'm just bad at being young and flexible.

holly_henderson8621d ago

Push back on this a little. I get that a proper desk helps, but you could've just fixed your setup without spending $5 a day for two years. Put your laptop on a stack of books or a sturdy box, grab a chair that forces you to sit up straight (not a beanbag). I worked from a hammock in Nicaragua for six months with a clipboard and a neck pillow and my back was fine. Maybe the real issue is you were sitting too long without moving. Hostel common areas are fine if you adjust your angle every 20 minutes and stand up to stretch. Spending money on coworking spaces is just a cope for not knowing how to prop your gear up with stuff you already have.