When I was working in New York, I was so busy that I would end up spending my lunch break at my desk munching on a sandwich over my keyboard. By the end of the day my eyes would be burning and my body felt cramped from sitting all day staring at the screen. This self-imposed abuse had to stop. So I made a point to not only take my lunch break, but also a break mid-afternoon. I would either make a coffee run with co-workers to the Starbucks across the street or even just go for a walk around the block.
Now working from home I do have the flexibility to get out whenever I want to but I find it more difficult to do so. Without the separation of work from home I spend even more time doing work or browsing around online — there's really no "end of the workday" for me. But now with the weather changing over I force myself to take a walk around my favorite neighborhoods visiting shops along the way or meeting up with a friend (check out the last tip on this). It's amazing what you discover: new designers showcased at a local boutique, a gallery show poster for an upcoming art opening, new books at the library (more on this next week) — there are just some things you won't learn surfing the internet or tweeting on Twitter.
So make the time. Take a break. Get out. I promise you'll feel refreshed, renewed and ready to tackle the work waiting for you at your desk.
