Session

Freelance linguists—between short delivery times, chaotic fluctuations of workloads, and the encroaching threat of AI—find it ever more difficult to maintain regular sleep-wake cycles, exercise, and eat in a manner conducive to good health. When’s the last time you had a proper check-up? Who needs a doctor when there’s a wealth of free health advice on TikTok, right?

The pandemic has enhanced our awareness of physical health, but how about your state of mind? Do you feel rested? Calm? Anxious? Tired all the time? Making unforced errors? Lashing out and regretting it later? Struggling to complete routine tasks?

Shiho will discuss health literacy and computer use precautions: issues vital to maintaining our health. She’ll also share results of a questionnaire on translator health awareness. Sako will follow with an overview of the science and myths surrounding that vital commodity: sleep and treatments—both medical and anecdotal—to ensure we get enough. Finally, we hope to engage the attendees in a discussion on how they stay healthy.

We’d also like to ask you, regardless of whether you plan to attend IJET, to take part in an online survey on translator health. We’ll also provide links to some basic screeners so that you can gauge your mental health status.