10 Activities when you need a break from the computerAs a photographer and small business owner, it can be really stressful sitting at my computer all…the…time… You hear it all the time, take a break! But it’s hard to feel like you get (deserve) a break when you’ve got 4 sessions to edit, 7 blog posts to write and 12 emails to return.  As someone who spends a LOT of time staring at the computer screen, I can’t tell you how imperative it is to take a mental margarita every once in a while! So here are 10 activities when you need a break from the computer! 

10 Activities When You Need A Break From The Computer

1) Get Up From The Computer!

Literally! Close your laptop (or step away from the desktop) and go do something else: read a book, put the laundry into the dryer, walk into the kitchen to get a fresh cup of coffee or snack. Anything to get you out of that chair and away from the screen.

2) Clean One Thing

It doesn’t have to be anything big or something that will take a long time, but cleaning one thing (a bathroom sink, making a bed, etc) will make you feel more productive and make that to do list seem a little more manageable. Just make sure you don’t get sidetracked from the actual task at hand 😉

10 Activities When You Need a Break From the Computer3) Get Outside

I know it’s hard to muster up the drive to go outside when it’s been so miserable, cold and wet this winter. But it really will do you good to head outdoors to fill your lungs with fresh air for a few minutes. Whether it’s walking the dog or taking the kids on a quick walk, grab your jackets and get outside!

4) Use a Built In Break Tool

Using an online program such as EVO will help you cut down on eye strain. This program gives you three different option: 20-20-20 (Every twenty minutes staring at a screen, you will focus your eyes twenty feet away for twenty seconds), 60-5 (sixty minutes staring at a screen followed by five minute break), and custom (set your own break mode). If you use the Chrome browser, you can install an add-on that will enable desktop notifications through EVO.

5) Take Phone Calls Standing Up

Whenever you make/receive a phone call, use it as an excuse to take a quick break from the screen. Get up, walk around and give your entire body a break from sitting.

6) Hydrate

I know that many of us (myself included!) are guilty of having a big cup of coffee sitting next to us when we work. While coffee is delicious and gives us a temporary high, it’s not very hydrating. So the next time you take a break, go grab a glass of water and drink it!

take a break7) Brainstorm a Project

Pick one project or item that’s on your plate, and do a 10-minute brainstorm on it. Head to a different room, grab a stack of Post-Its and a marker, and let your brain get to business.

8) Organize Your Workspace

I won’t embarrass myself by showing you what my desk looks like right now, but lets just say, it needs some TLC. I’ve got receipts, and CD’s and pens, and a tiara (yes, a tiara!) strewn across my tiny desk and it makes for a very cramped working environment! Clear the clutter and you will feel so much freer and less cramped when you work.

9) Write a Thank You Note

There are probably 5 people you can think of right now that you should probably write a thank you note to. Even if there’s not, grab a pen and blank notecard and drop an unsuspecting person a little card. It will really brighten their day when they get it and you will feel uplifted from doing a good deed.

keep calm and take a break10) Lay Down and Do Nothing for 5 minutes

This one might be tricky for some people who can’t lay down without falling asleep. But if you can, lay down on a flat surface and relax your mind. Close your eyes and shut out all the distractions and things that you “have to” do. It can be hard because there are so many things you will be thinking about, but focus on one thing only (maybe put on a soundscape to focus on).