Over a varied working life, I have worn many hats: retail, hospitality, ride-share driving, and people support.
My current employer of approaching seven years actively discourages working without being paid, and overtime is strictly controlled. It sounds ideal on paper. Yet, the reality is a familiar paradox: the workload and performance expectations frequently surge to a level where skipping breaks becomes the only option to actually achieve what is expected.
Generational brainwashing demands unquestioning diligence, pushing us to meet the demand no matter the personal cost. But the truth is, my body was built for physical activity—not for interacting with a computer for half of my waking day. The result of defying that reality is both physical and psychological damage.
For a long time, pills, potions, and therapy have succeeded in patching me up. Lately, though, the frequency and extent of the harm appear to be increasing. Maybe this is simply due to my advancing years, or maybe the system is just wearing me down faster than I can rebuild.
This past March, while attempting to accomplish the impossible during another peak period, the pressure finally broke through. The result was extreme pain in both wrists and hands—a stark red flag that consolidated a long string of upper limb and neck injuries.
Conservative treatments have only offered temporary relief this time. The damage is real, but as the title says, it’s not beyond repair. A carpal tunnel release day-surgery for my left wrist is scheduled for the 16th of July. It’s the first step in fixing the physical, even as I navigate the systemic.
theINFP 
Dear Robert,
Thank you for keeping us informed of your health and wellbeing. I would like to share with you some recommendations for improving and maintaining health.
Regarding issues of wellbeing and body weight, for reasons of health and the environment, I am mostly a vegetarian and occasionally a vegan, even though I consume a little meat infrequently. In any case, I do not have a craze for meat, not to mention that eating less meat is good for the environment for many reasons.
I also keep my consumption of fat to a minimum, preferably less than 20% to 30% of food intake or energy.
Here are my general guidelines to remaining healthy and slim. I do not necessarily or invariably stick to them very strictly. Hopefully, some of these can be helpful or relevant to you.
(A) Diet:
1. 20 minutes before every meal, either drink a glass of water or eat an apple.
2. Use smaller plates to hold meals.
3. Cut out all soft drinks, sugary drinks and fruit juices.
4. Cut out junk food and processed food. (I do have some high-quality biscuits and chocolates in small quantity).
5. Check food label to ensure that the sugar content is below 20%.
6. Do not add too much sugar to home-cooked food.
7. Reduce salt intake.
8. Fast for two days per week. On the fasting day, either eat only one third at every meal, or eat only one meal. Not eating for a whole day or longer is also fine.
9. Have two rather than three meals a day.
10. Restrict mealtimes to within an eight-hour period, outside of which drink only water and have no food. In other words, whether a person has one, two or three meals per day, the meal(s) should be consumed within eight hours.
(B) Exercise:
1. Do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) once or twice a day, or at least once every second day. Each session needs to be as intense as possible and lasting no more than 20 to 30 seconds or one minute at most, followed by one to a few minutes of rests. Repeat twice. This can be running, skipping or cycling on the spot. Running upstairs and downstairs can also help.
2. Reduce sitting time by standing to work or study. Buy something like Veridesk or make your own by improvising or using existing materials.
3. Do some skipping or jumping.
4. Whatever exercises you do, vary the intensity.
5. Doing some physically taxing house chores or gardening can be helpful too.
6. Walk to places rather than drive.
Let me know what you think of my recommendations.
Happy July to you!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
Hi SoundEagle, Thank you so much for your thoughtful message and for sharing your personal health guidelines. I truly appreciate you taking the time to lay out these recommendations—it is wonderful to hear what works so well for you.
Your balanced approach to a plant-forward diet is highly commendable, both for your vitality and the environment. There are some excellent, practical gems in your list, from the mindfulness around portion sizes and hidden sugars to the benefits of intermittent fasting and short, intense bursts of movement. It’s a great reminder that staying healthy is easily woven into our daily routines.
Thank you again for your insight and support. Wishing you a wonderful, healthy, and happy July ahead! Robert.
Dear Robert,
Thank you for your feedback. I wonder which of those recommendations you would like to adopt straight away.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
I have limited self-control and an addictive personality. After Christmas in July on Saturday, we are going to look at improving our diet and portion control. 💖
Dear Robert,
Many yummy dishes, junk food and chocolates are so enticing that were it not for my strong will to curb my food desire and sweet tooth, I would have stopped remaining slim and become a big fat pink elephant long ago . . . . .
Wishing both of you a productive month doing or enjoying whatever that satisfies you the most, including satisfying your taste and stomach to your heart’s content (within reason of course) unless you wish to grow bigger love handles!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
Whoa that’s some stress and damage! I noted a while back that the current young workewrs have been suckered in, not even aware of how to argue a contract these days. Plus the economy sits as power in the employers hands. So frustrating. I wish you well for the surgery and ensuing relief.
Thank you, Paul.
❤️
Dear Robert,
Happy Sunday to you! I have something here that can perk you up this morning. Since you are a connoisseur of poetry, paintings and music, I would be delighted to know what you will make of my latest multimedia post entitled “👁️ Visualizing 🎼🎹—THE—🎹—LAST—🎹—RAG—🎹🎵🎶 with SoundEagle🦅 音鷹 and Friedrich Zettl 狐胡 🎨“. The post has been improved and extended. It is published at
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
I will view the page on my laptop over the next few days 😎
Dear Robert,
Thank you. Since the speakers of a laptop computer are inferior in reproducing the sounds, I recommend using a good pair of high-quality headphones.
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
Thank you.
Oh! I was delighted to see your face up close! I am sorry though to hear about the wrists. I hope things work well – and lay of the potions; they are bad on the complexion.
Thank you, I will provide updates.
I also trashed my wrists and the neck well it is so trashed from being rear-ended by a 20 ton bus while at a red light in 2000. The want to use a dead persons section of spine I will roll the dice at 70 and keep my own trashed one. Every drug they gave me destroyed organs now I would try acupuncture if I have too. Be well I did my last carpel wide awake in doctors office.
Wow, Eunice {{{HUGS}}}
We are survivors (hug right back!)
With age we must all be careful, as my doctor says and I hate it when he does; You are not 20 anymore.
A bitter pill to swallow. Then again, I wouldn’t want to be 20 anyway. Thank you, Larry.
At 89 this week, I have a few worn joints that are treated with steroids or a fake cartilage each year successfully. In our sixties, my husband and I took turns having surgeries…..the timing worked for us. Weather changes remind me of my age for a bit, but then soften their complaints. On the whole I am healthier physically now than in my sixties and early seventies other than my Alzheimer’s, which so far is either progressing slowly or being slowed by my infusions. All I can say is that “this too will pass.” Hang in there! Saying some for you for freedom from pain. Hugs, my now long time friend.
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Eileen.
I wish you didn’t have to work to the point of breaking (I wish this for all of us), but I hope your surgery goes well and you find relief from pain,
I agree, thank you, Bridgette. My employer has been kind for the last few weeks. My workload is now manageable.
Thank you for writing this so honestly. The line about your body being built for movement, not for a screen half your waking day, is one a lot of people feel but never say out loud. There’s a quiet kind of courage in naming the cost instead of pushing through it silently again. Wishing you a smooth surgery on the 16th and a real recovery, not just another patch job. Rebuilding the physical while you navigate the systemic is no small thing, and it sounds like you’re finally giving yourself permission to do both. Take care of those hands.
Thank you for your encouraging words.