Do you ever find yourself sitting at your kitchen counter, typing away on your laptop, with your left foot on the floor and your right foot on the bar stool rung, right cheek on the seat cushion and left cheek off?  Or do you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat like the hunchback of Notre Dame?  Do you find yourself sore and tense with aches and pains?  Do you become so enthralled in your work, web-surfing, pinning, or Facebook creeping that you lose all track of time?

I ask so many ‘do you’s’ because I do.  I seem to suffer from sitting at the computer for any length of time.  My body does not like it.  These ailments simply cannot be occurring because I am aging.  Because I’m not. (Sometimes a girl has got to lie to herself.  What can I say?  It keeps me young.)  Nor can they be occurring because I have bad posture.  (Okay, sometimes I have bad posture.)  My point is, sitting at the computer does not usually result in a relaxed state for my muscles. (Two glasses of wine?  Yes.  Computer?  Not so much.)

That is why I was so excited to make this delightful discovery a few weeks ago.  I found a tool called Work Smart, which allows you to do just that.  The software pops up with reminders prompting you to partake in different stretches while you sit at the computer.  It is a great way to take breaks and stretch different muscles to prevent tension and tightness.  (Because there are just times when it is deemed inappropriate to drink wine.  Like at 9am.  Or when someone is paying you to, um… work.)

So, this little guy now resides on my desktop and keeps me in check.

I thought it was worth a mention because on the days I use it, I can definitely feel a difference.  In this age of technology, I am pretty sure we are all engaged with one beloved screen or another so I thought you might like to know about this sweet little tool.  With it I am more aware of my body while I am sitting at the computer.  I tend to keep both cheeks on the seat.  I sit back.  I sit up straighter.  I am also glad for the breaks.  Because normally I get so enthralled with what I am doing, three hours blink by and then I realize I have to pee.  It is only then that I finally get off my derrière and attempt to move the stone statue my body has been molded into.

It allows you to set your work time and your pause time so you can customize it to your preference.  The stretches can also be set to focus on your back, shoulders, head and neck, or hands and wrists.  You can also choose a male or female demonstrator for the stretches.

In case you are curious, you can check out the HealthWize link to Work Smart here.

Also on the HealthWize site is a link to the Pomodoro Technique, which is a way to stay focused on your work and improve productivity.  The developer of the Pomodoro Technique is Francesco Cirillo who just happens to live in Roma, Italia.  (Does this wanna-be Italian girl think that is cool?  Yes, I do.)  You can check out more about the Pomodoro Technique here.

Here’s to better habits in 2013!