I love my work. I get to set my own hours and, thanks to the portability of my computer and cell phone, my work space can be almost anywhere; at the kitchen counter, on my deck or patio, at a café, the airport, or in my car. And the same tools makes it possible to get up in the middle of the night to finish a writing project or answer an email. 

But this flexibility creates problems. The times and spaces once reserved for relaxation, recreation, vacation, or just plain down time with family and friends are in danger of getting subsumed or intruded upon by work. Even for those of us who enjoy our work, there are hazards in this "too much of a good thing."

Working in front of a computer screen can be a hazardous to our health. Using our eyes in focused vision for long periods of time creates tension in our eyes. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and our body's stress response. In InterPlay, the system of artful creativity I teach, we practice relaxing our narrow focuser and using our peripheral vision. We call this "easy focus." 

Photo By: Julia Heathcote

Peripheral vision activates the parasympathetic nervous system: the relaxation response. Easy focus enhances our ability to create in the moment and on the spot. Here's how we playfully remind ourselves to do it. Place the fingers of one hand in the space between your eyes as though gathering up your focuser, and taking a deep breath open your fingers and flick them into the air while making the playful sound "Whee!" 

Another hazard - without more variety and balance, sitting for too many hours can significantly shorten our lives, according to a study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine,. People who sit the most during an average day are up to 50 percent more likely to die within three years compared to those who sit the least.  

I'm lucky that a part of my work involves InterPlay, which is rooted in movement and play. Alternating between sitting and dancing, and between serious and silly, helps make all the parts of my life more enjoyable. I recommend taking short intermissions in the workday, putting on some music and playfully moving to it. You don't have to call it dancing if that word seems intimidating, but for me, I'm glad that somewhere along the way in my adult life I told myself to "just keep dancing." And like the road less traveled, that has made all the difference. 

Give yourself a weekend of play in Pittsburgh May 11-13th when CathyAnn Beaty visits from MN. There's a few spaces left. Come join us. "Whee!"