The Breaking Point

Time flies when you are having fun, and even when you are just working hard.  But if you don’t take regular breaks during your work, the fun is likely to be replaced with pain.  Not a good thing in most people’s book.   

When I talk about taking breaks, people who are working on a deadline project just shake their heads at me. Who has time to take a break?  But taking a break doesn’t mean that you always have to have a yoga moment.   

Taking 30 seconds to stretch your hands and breathe deeply every 20-30 minutes can save you hours or days of hand and neck pain.   

Our bodies are designed to move.  Just getting up and doing something different for a moment can make a difference.  Move the laundry into the dryer, take a walk to the bathroom, or get a drink of water.  Doing another task is as much a break as stopping to stretch.   

Ideally, you should take a break every 20 minutes.  It’s easy to get so engrossed in the task at hand that an hour can slip by un-noticed.  Setting a kitchen timer for 20 minutes can be a handy reminder. 

You don’t even have to get up from your seat every time. Just set down your hook (or needles if you’re knitting) and wiggle a bit in place. You can stretch your hands, lift your arms above your head looking up at your hands, then twist from side to side.  That might take all of a full minute, then you are back to working on your project or previous task.  

A wonderful result is you will find yourself feeling more energized and better able to focus.  Keep in mind that the longer you wait to take a break,  the longer and more active the break should be.   

Making breaks a habit while stitching or even working at your computer can help you avoid ever reaching your Breaking Point.  And allow you to enjoy many years of pain-free stitching and typing.