Several weeks ago I wrote a post titled “Always Be Looking.” It was about how much of what I do isn’t new to the world, even though it might be new to me.
Last week I found another instance of that. Years ago I read the 20-20-20 rule of taking 20 seconds every 20 minutes to look at something at least 20 feet away while working on a computer*. Last week I found a suggestion for taking breaks in the November/December 2022 issue of Handwoven magazine. Just like being hunched over and staring at a computer screen, being hunched over and staring and warp and weft threads can also cause physical problems if it’s done without breaks.
The suggestions for taking a break in that magazine article are more detailed than just the 20-20-20 rule. In addition to looking away from the work every 20 minutes to do something else which takes a few seconds, the article recommended stepping away completely from the work, for a few minutes, every hour. I think that will be easier for me to remember.
(The specific article is “Healthy Weavers: Using Ergonomics for Comfortable Weaving” by Cynthia Evetts and Tina Fletcher.)
* The 20-20-20 rule really does help my eyes. More than that, it helps my whole upper body relax. I recently heard on a podcast that a focused narrow gaze will tend to make us more mentally focused and anxious, while a panoramic gaze will tend to make us more relaxed and less focused. Maybe the relaxation is something to do with that.