Dancing Every 30 — Simple Saturday

We need to move our bodies because our bodies are designed to move. For most of us, lack of movement can lead (ironically) to being in pain when we do finally get around to moving.

Let’s skip that part, shall we?

One of my greatest life passions is writing, which for me means butt in chair, hands on keyboard. Knowing lots of writers who have wrist, back, and neck problems inspires me to stay as comfortable as possible. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, so that’s not going to change. Seven published books, three blogs, and two newsletters later means I spend at least ten hours a week writing. More if I’m writing the first draft of a book or I have a juicy project I don’t want to step away from.

Even when you love your work, there’s still a difference between the workday and play. At the end of the workday, there needs to be energy to have after-work kinds of fun.

Staying healthy is something we contribute to throughout the day. Put together the need to move and my love for music and dancing and voilà, dance breaks were born.

That’s why I take dance breaks every 30 minutes. Why every 30 minutes? The famous Pomodoro technique teaches the benefits of working at a specific task for 25 minutes and then taking a five-minute break. Our brains get a chance to rest, which boosts productivity. In the Pomodoro technique, breaks are five minutes long. Twenty-five feels strange to me, so I use 30-minute work blocks. I also keep my breaks short, because, hey, these words need to get on the screen or page. Timing my breaks might be a productivity booster for me to try out. For now, I decide on how many songs I want to dance to.

Two songs is a good place to start. If you’re working with a difficult task and need a longer break, three songs is better. I understand that not everyone gets to choose when and how long their breaks are, so adjust your dance breaks to what works best for you.

You’re the only person who has to live in your body 24/7, so make it the best 24/7 you can.

Your inspired friend,

Gina

This picture is from early in 2015, at my daughter’s baby shower.

Simple Saturday is all about sharing ways to make life the opposite of complicated. We can live inspired, simple, energized, enjoyable lives. It’s that easy. Let it be that easy.