#me and the boys developing carpel tunnel

[lonelylittletofu]

5-28-2023

Look at Karamatsu in his corset, please.

Look at how much Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu love each other also please.

Also, we stand Choromatsu and Ichimatsu’s dynamic in this house. Anxiety duo for the win!

Also also, yes, Choromatsu is Totty’s fav brother. Yes, I will explain in excruciating detail eventually. Just know that Totty relies on Choro the most, for his fear of the dark and as a highschooler. And how while Totty is stated as only picking battles that he can win, he broke that selfish trend to give Oso shit about how he treated Choromatsu in the infamous S1 ep24. That’s a BIG deal for Totty, and he did it for Choro. Furthermore, Choro cares for him back as he always indulges Totty’s habits even if he can be rude (I remember green man telling Totty he shouldn’t exist — no worries. Though, Totty fires back just as hard in the ESP kitty ep by calling Choro boring and among other things).

Also also also, I’ll forever love that Jyushi lowkey can’t stand Choromatsu.

(Post 2/2)

On fuck shit bitch dammit, lads, I’m NOT GONNA MISS THEIR BIRRHDAY JUST GIMMA A FUCK DAMN HELL ASS SEC-

MY FINGIES-

[mmmn-thirsty-for-vinegar]

I honestly don't think I can draw like I use to and it depresses me.

I'll be drawing for 3 minutes then my fingers will ache and my knuckles hurt like hell

Here's to hoping I'm not developing some sort of carpel tunnel or arthritis-

Even my art teacher was worried when last year I couldn't draw for 30 mins without putting on my compression glove.

Hoo boy

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (9/6/2024) Episode: Mr. and Mrs.

Following their reception Luigi brought the Missus to a lounge on Mua Pel’am Island for a nightcap to start their intimate afterparty.

“Yeah, Dad’s feast was tasty, but did you see their faces when we started the dance? Worth all the practice to be sure, I mean I loved practicing too…”

Fortunately for the rapidly backtracking groom, a fan approached “Cyber Lu”, interrupting their conversation by begging for an autograph. While the self-centered star happily provided a personalized headshot for the excited young lady, Noemi sipped her drink with a self-satisfied smile.

He got so adorably thrilled by the attention, and his fans never bothered her. Well worth sending out a quick anonymous Luigi sighting via text. 

When the hubbub died down and their drinks were gone, Luigi grabbed Noemi’s hand, pulling her up to face him “So, Mrs. Lawbourne, are you ready for me to show you the real reason I brought you all the way out here?”

Judging by the look on his face Noemi decided she had a really good feeling about whatever he had up his sleeve “Oh, this sounds interesting” she replied, matching his excited grin with one of her own “lead on, Mr. Lawbourne”

So late at night, they met no other sims on the winding sandy path leading up to a large misty waterfall.

“Papa used to love bringing me here when I was a kid,” Luigi said over the soft roar of the falls. “He’d pack a lunch and we’d spend hours eating and splashing around. However, apparently, there’s a little crystal cave tucked away back there that’s famous as a venue for more “adult” rendezvous…”

At the suggestive waggle of his eyebrows she teased: “Are you sure we’re not being observed? We were just accosted by one of your fangirls.”

Luigi made a big show of looking over his shoulder and then carefully checking behind nearby rocks and bushes before tiptoeing back over to her and whispering: “It’s all good, I think we’re alone now” before pulling his squealing bride into the intimate gloom behind the curtain of falling water.

“Well worth it’s reputation!” Noemi said when they emerged sometime later “Reminded me of the best parts of that grotto where you proposed.”

“I’m glad you liked it” he replied “Now, as much as I’d love to stay and explore, I think we’d better get home and finish getting ready for our trip. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“If we must… but first, get over here” she teased “I think I forgot a little something I wanted to do in there when you distracted me.”

Back home, the couple temporarily split up. While Noemi did some last-minute honeymoon packing, Luigi uploaded the video footage from the wedding onto his fancy new video editing station and started some quick revisions.

He quickly found the large, specialized workstation much easier to use than his laptop. As he put the finishing touches on a quick promotional clip, he made a mental note to see what upgrades he could make to their everyday computer setups when they got back from their trip.

He’d maxed his programming skill ages ago and could overclock any PC easily. In addition, a full size, ergonomically correct, desktop system would help keep his carpel tunnel at bay. They were developing his videogame on a laptop and a tablet for crying out loud! “It’s settled… when I get back, we’re getting new computers - no excuses!” he declared to the empty studio before finishing up and heading off in search of his wife.

Luigi found Noemi in the bedroom, waiting for him once again, in an outfit he hadn’t seen her wear since before she got pregnant.

“I hope you haven’t hurt yourself again” she said, “because that would be very inconvenient.” Her crop leapt up to press his lips together before he could respond, leaving him to shake his head silently.

“Good boy. Now, to have a nice night, you’ll want to go put on the little present I left on your bedside table, and keep that pretty mouth closed until I tell you what to do with it. Understood?” Luigi nodded again, eager to see what his mistress had in mind to cap off their wedding night in style.

After “round two” the pair finally drifted off to catch a couple hours shut eye before catching the teleport to their honeymoon destination.

As he snuggled his wife close Luigi dreamed of their upcoming adventure. They’d talked about how much fun it would be to visit the park when they’d been “just friends” back in college and now they’d finally be doing it as husband and wife. He couldn’t wait to get started.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[heavy-with-hopingg]

Carrying on with the ✨Infinity On High✨ birthday

I will never forget the day I heard Carpel Tunnel of Love for the first time back in 2007; the first time it was introduced to me, I was not in the best situation. I was not with my parents at the time and was in a home.

The kid of that family showed me the album case and I was deeply enthralled by the design and with that he simply handed the cd over to his mum and she played it in the car radio as she drove us all to the shopping centre. I do not remember what else at the time I heard on that album that I liked at the time; but I will always remember CToL being the first I ever heard.

From there I heard the traction in the radio, thnks fr mmrs and what not flooding the Australian airwaves. Things soon got better (depending how you look at it and without me oversharing too much despite already doing so) and I was soon back home with my mum, but now with a new sense of passion for music. No longer following what my mum did; I had developed a taste for the energy that is IOH.

It would also go on to be the first album I owned, a double CD feature; one the CD and the other a DVD with commentary and some of the MV’s

At the end of the day I never truly stopped liking Fall Out Boy; while I eventually grew to like genres like EDM and Indie/Alternative; I never stopped coming back here to them.

Happy birthday Infinity On High. Here’s to many more years of being there during my crashouts and highs.

[mexicancat-girl]

Ok guys, I can't take it, I’m seriously at my limit here.

Uraraka vs Bakuboi was a sham of a fight and none of it makes any goddamn sense.

Uraraka deserved her win, for multiple reasons.

Shout out to @bnhasalt, who’s post reminded me how indignantly furious this arc makes me.

More under the cut over both how salty I am, and how Uraraka losing against Explodo Kills makes absolutely no sense, even narratively.

(Warning ahead for a discussion on sexism, misogyny, forced fanservice, the blatant favoritism towards That One Specific Character even if unearned in the narrative, and the general incompetence on how to write female characters.

I call B/kugo “Bakuboi” in this analysis bc I don’t want to write his Actual Name out and have it pop up in his character tags. Also, heads up, I’m sorry for how messy and long this rant is )

First, can I just say that Horikoshi is uhhhh Bad at writing female characters?

Which I’m sure many female fans already have an inkling about, but goddamn is it never more obvious than in the Sports Festival Arc. Because hey, at least the female characters are THERE and PARTICIPATING and have their own time to shine! This ISN’T one of those arcs that just stars THE BOYS, so that MUST mean this arc is equal opportunity! Right...?

God, I wish. I wish...

See, the girls are the minority of the Sports Fest in general. It shouldn’t be this way. And quite frankly, the fact that the classes (and UA in general) isn’t closer to being a 50/50 gender split also makes no sense, considering all children are raised in a society that values heroism EQUALLY and almost half the population is male and half female.

But, okay, let’s say I actually believe in the most illogical character ratio imagineable of there being a 2 boy to 1 girl, like this is another round of Naruto But It’s Superheroes So It’s Different I Swear.

We all know that there is going to be an emphasis on Izuku, since he’s the protagonist and he wants to make All Might proud during the Sports Festival.

Pre-Festival, there’s the reveal that Uraraka wants to do her best, with her main motivation of becoming a hero to give her parents a good life. Iida also wants to make his own family proud, specifically his brother, because of his family legacy. 

Since these three are a trio, you’d think they’d all get some time to shine, right? Since they’re Izuku’s friends? And Izuku considers them his equals?

Yeah, no. Wrong.

This arc is dominated by Izuku, Shoto, and Bakuboi. That becomes clear very quickly. 

I knew I shouldn’t expect much, since these three are powerhouses and also the most popular characters of the entire franchise (just look at the popularity polls) but still. I’d thought at least Uraraka would get a chance to shine! Since we get some character development and motivation revealed from her!

But the female characters in general get done so dirty this arc, despite it being first set up as a perfect arc to let the girls have just as much opportunity to participate as their male peers.

The most significant part of the female characters all getting an ‘equal time to shine’ is when He Who Must Not Be Mentioned and Kaminari trick the girls into dressing as scantily-clad cheerleaders. Which is both Tiring and Unncessary.

(This scheme also shouldn’t have worked because Momo is Vice Rep and she is an intelligent girl, top of her class. She would be smart enough to go to a teacher and actually double-check to see if Class 1-A girls really needed to cheer in the activities portion of the Sports Festival. 

But noooo, Horikoshi can’t pass up a chance for FANSERVICE and forcing his underaged female characters to be uncomfortable for The Funnies! Thanks! I hate it!)

The female characters that move onto the final round of the Sports Festival, and thusly have the most attention, are: Uraraka, Mei Hatsume from Support, Momo, Mina, and Shiozaki from 1-B.

Wow, I sure wish these girls could like...show their worth. And maybe NOT get steamrolled and easily tossed aside in their matches because they’re facing Boys and Boys Have Strong Offense-based Quirks, That’s The Rules Folks.

(Before you come at me, I know that isn’t a rule that applies to every single male character in the series, but the strongest and offense-based Quirks tend to go to the male characters, while the female characters tend to get more support-based Quirks. It’s both sexist, but also an inherent trend in media in general. Please Just Let Women Punch Shit To Smithereens And Control The Elements.)

Yes, Mina and Shiozaki won their first rounds easily! And that’s great to see! But then we turn right around, and they're eliminated just as quickly in their second matches! Without even a fighting chance!

Good God, Shiozaki is literally PUSHED OUT OF THE RING. That’s it, that’s how she lost. Same thing with Momo in her match! And Mei straight-up forfeits because her character is based more on advertising her inventions/babies, so she doesn’t even fight.

So essentially, the female characters are shucked away if they’re not used to make the male characters look good, or there for fanservice, or there to show a shallow form of ~feminism~ so Horikoshi can pat himself on the back and say “See! Girls strong! I can write girls!”

And now we get to the meat of things: Uraraka.

Oh, poor Uraraka. Out of all the female characters, your potential was the greatest, and also the most squandered...

As a reminder, at the start of the arc, Uraraka speaks with both Izuku and Iida about how she wants to do well in the Sports Fest. They all promise to do their best. Izuku’s friends admit that they want to face him in later matches, because they want to be his equals.

Uraraka wanted to stand on the same level as Izuku and Iida, but she's the only one that doesn't move on past her first match!

And man, what an absolute bogus match it is.

Is it emotional? Yeah. Did I tear up when I watched it? Sure, every single time! But that's more because Uraraka is one of my favorite characters and I feel empathy for her and thought she deserved better.

The match gets to me because I also hate how Bakuboi is so fucking entitled and gets everything handed to him on a silver platter.

Bakuboi himself is written as, essentially, a Gary Stu. He always wins. ALWAYS. And even when he ‘loses’, he still manages to beat his opponents to the point that they need to be hospitalized (see Izuku vs Kacchan pt 1) or he makes his losses ALL ABOUT HIMSELF by twisting logic to fit his own narrative.

Remember how Bakuboi won against Todoroki in the final match? And was so pissed at him he was ready to Physically Assault Todoroki for him not being able to Get Over His Trauma to go 100% during their match? And even though Bakuboi LITERALLY won the entire Sports Festival, he’s so entitled that he demands a rematch because he feels like he “didn’t actually win”?

Not wanting a rematch for Todoroki’s sake, because Todoroki has been through a rough time and Bakuboi overheard Todo’s Tragic Abusive Backstory. Oh no, that would make too much sense and show too much character growth, we can’t have that! Bakuboi, even when winning the Sports Festival, demanded a rematch because he wanted to beat the shit out of Todoroki AGAIN to assert his dominance.

You see, Bakuboi is always rewarded in the narrative. Even when he loses it’s not seen as his fault. He’s never really punished for it, and he never learns any lessons from his losses.

Ah, and let’s not forget, Katsuki Bakuboi has the Best And Strongest Quirk Ever. Strong enough to even do the impossible and work to his advantage when it shouldn’t!

Like how he SOMEHOW manages to ‘beat the odds’ by breaking the laws of physics to win in Round 2. He manages to PUNCH THROUGH A QUIRK THAT CREATES A SOLID WALL from 1-B’s Tsuburaba in order to get back his team’s headband and move on to Round 3.

Or hey, his finishing move, Howlitzer Impact? Doesn’t make any sense either. It shouldn’t work as a...cyclone? Tornado? Drill thing? 

Look, the logistics of it shouldn’t work. Yes, this is anime, but do you HONESTLY think that a teenager YEETING himself in a fast spiral will somehow accomplish anything more than spreading out some explosions in a circle around him? You honestly think any other character would be able to pull that bullshit off WITHOUT upchucking their entire lunch?

But because it’s Bakuboi, it works somehow. Because Bakuboi’s Quirk is The Shining Beacon Of Quirks. 

Drawbacks? Sure, he SUPPOSEDLY has them. They’re noted in his character profile and everything. But very rarely do those supposed “drawbacks” ever actually come into play and actually, like, stop him. Or slow him down. Or, yknow, ACTUALLY WORK LIKE DRAWBACKS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK.

Because apparently, human limits don’t exist for Katsuki fucking Bakuboi, nope, not at all!

One of Bakuboi’s "drawbacks" is supposed to be that he can't overexert himself or he can fuck up his wrists/his forearms will start to ache. 

Cool cool cool, except...This rarely slows him down or effects him at all. 

It’s actually astounding he hasn’t given himself Carpel Tunnel, because that would be a natural consequence to over-using his Quirk. Hell, he should be fucking up his arms almost as much as Izuku does to his own arms with a destructive Quirk like OFA! Explosions are dangerous and cause massive destruction, and that should be fucking up his arms SOMEHOW!

But, nope. Bakuboi is as fresh as a goddamn daisy. He can Never Have A Weakness.

(Another drawback is cold weather/Winter season is supposed to weaken his Quirk. Makes sense, since heat would help him produce more nitroglycerin sweat, and the cold would make it hard to sweat. But that sure as hell didn’t stop him during the Joint Training Arc in the future, and he didn’t struggle whatsoever to almost singlehandedly win that for his team.)

Not ONCE does Bakuboi’s Quirk ever effect him negatively and forces him to weaken! He keeps using his Quirk like it's nothing!!

And that’s the crux of the entire problem with Uraraka vs Bakuboi’s match.

Bakuboi apparently has “drawbacks” and “limits”, but he keeps somehow managing to break them without a sweat (ha) and without consequence, essentially PULLING WINS OUT OF HIS ASS.

Bakuboi was using his Quirk LITERALLY NONSTOP during Round 1, and kept using it to throw himself around in Round 2. Logically, he should’ve fucked his arms up and been at the very least SLOWED DOWN by the third round of the Sports Fest because he went past what were SUPPOSED to be his Quirk’s canonical limitations and logic!

It would've taught Bakuboi that he can't fucking steamroll through all his problems! He has limits! There are consequences to over using his Quirk! He’s a human being and he doesn’t have endless stamina like some sort of God!

Hell, every other character has these limits very clearly shown and outlined with their Quirks! Uraraka throws up when she over-uses Zero Gravity. Shoto, before using his fire side, would get frostbite. Iida’s Engines will stall after using Recipro Burst.

The other characters have limitations to their Quirks that slows them down, shows consequences for their actions, but Bakuboi NEVER HAS ANY.

THIS is why he’s a Gary Stu. THIS is why he won his match against Uraraka.

Not because of any logic. Because HIS QUIRK HAS NO FLAWS. And on top of that, THE NARRATIVE KEEPS REWARDING HIM, EVEN WHEN HE HASN’T EARNED IT.

Bakuboi SHOULD have been weakened from using his Quirk non-stop. Bakuboi SHOULD NOT have managed to pull out that “one final big explosion” that ruined Uraraka’s final attack.

Bakuboi was literally hissing about his arms hurting earlier, before their match started. And Uraraka forced him to use his Quirk so much that she managed to amass a ton of debris to knock him out and win the match. HIS EXPLOSIONS SHOULD HAVE SPUTTERED OUT, AND NOT SAVED HIM WITH THAT LAST-SECOND ASSPULL.

Like, I’m preeeeetty sure the entire reason Horikoshi wrote Uraraka vs Bakuboi in the first place was because he was attempting at writing Feminism.

See, Bakuboi Hates Everyone Equally, he’s not a violent misogynist for beating up Uraraka! It’s a Match, he Respects Women And Sees Them As Equals! The Crowd of Pro Heroes are the ones being Misogynistic and Judging The Match Early!

And look at Uraraka, she’s a Strong Woman! She keeps getting back up! That’s the Shonen Spirit! And she’s smart, too! Look at her amazing plan to win--

Oh, wait. Wait, nope. She didn’t win at all! :) Because our shining beacon of perfection Katsuki Bakuboi never loses!! :)) Look at all her hopes and dreams being blown to literal smithereens, because of Bakuboi’s ass pull, even though he shouldn’t have had enough time, sweat, and strength to muster up that last explosion!!! :)))

Can ya’ll feel my incandescent fury right now?

Because Horikoshi can NEVER write Bakuboi losing, Uraraka COULDN’T HAVE WON, even if her winning makes THE MOST LOGICAL SENSE.

This scene was supposed to show Uraraka’s strength. But it feels like Uraraka is being literally spit in her face, for even DARING to TRY to win against Katsuki fucking Bakuboi.

How much more impactful would Uraraka’s breakdown have been, if she had moved onto the Second Round with Izuku and Iida? How she would feel ashamed that she couldn’t keep up with them, with how Powerful their Quirks are? Especially after seeing Izuku and Todoroki’s amazing match, and seen how destructive and close a match it had been?

How DEVASTATED she would have felt, beating BAKUBOI--one of the strongest of their class!--and then STILL managing to lose the Sports Festival?

That would have been SO much more interesting! And even SADDER!! C’mon!

Uraraka SHOULD have won her match! It would’ve provided both character development for herself, and for Bakuboi! Bakuboi would realize he has limits to his body and Quirk, and realize not to underestimate his opponents! Uraraka would realize that she’s strong in spite of her Quirk not being necessarily combat-oriented, but still has a long way to go in being a Pro Hero!

But, nooooo. We can’t have CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, can we? We ESPECIALLY can’t have THE FEMALE CHARACTERS IMPACTING THE PLOT IN SOME WAY, either! Or--what’s this? FEMALE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY HAVING THE SPOTLIGHT FOR ONCE? Perish the thought!

The only good parts about this godforsaken arc are 1) Mei Hatsume 2) Hitoshi Shinso and 3) Izuku vs Todoroki fight and Todoroki’s Tragic Backstory Reveal. Everything else is hit-or-miss, if not completely hot garbage.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED Talk, and for reading this entire thing! Four for you, reader. You go, reader.

[witchofreveries]

Thought Form Companion II

Thought Form Companion I

Creation 

There are no words to describe what it feels like to discover you’ve dreamed someone into existence. It doesn’t happen on purpose. It starts with an idea, which rolls around in your mind until you have an “AH-HA!” moment that escalates an entire adventure of creation, change, destruction, and recreation until something (or someone) develops. They start out like a new, brightly colored tub of Play-Doh™, begging to be turned into something magnificent. 

I started noticing things were strange a year into writing him for a D&D campaign I ran for my friends. I’d built the entire plot and every NPC, and I was  very proud as I had only received greatly positive feedback. Dacus… was written in as a joke character. I had put a lot of effort into creating my other NPCs and I wanted someone who was just a reference to another story that some of my players would get… He didn’t end up that way. 

Months after creating him, he suddenly caught my attention. It felt as though he was catching my hand and softly saying, “Hey now, don’t leave me here like this. I have far more potential. I want to be something extraordinary.” Trusting him, I took his hand, and slowly I began to write. I wrote deeply and ferociously, and the more I did the more I loved who I was developing. I wrote a man who could be the father I always wanted, the husband I hoped to marry, the son that every boy should be to his parents. I wrote flaws and brokenness. I shattered dreams and I destroyed stability. I wrote eruptions of fire whose burn I felt in my own chest as I scribbled them on paper that felt as though it might turn to cinder. I wrote a smile that could outshine a thousand candles, and kind eyes that could melt the coldest ice. 

Eventually I began to talk to him. Maybe not directly, but over time as he grew, I began to feel things about him rather than decide them. At one point in his creation I had decided that he was a book lover with a living room of book-filled walls, and that he had constant carpel-tunnel from playing the piano too much. Later, I just knew that he couldn’t keep plants alive, even though he really tried. I knew his favorite band was the Arctic Monkeys, and I knew he had inked on his forearm the date his parents passed away. Other times, I’d try to decide something, only for it to feel inauthentic, like he was deciding for himself. He went with me everywhere. 

Discovery

The day I was walking out of a client’s house and felt like I had to wait for him before shutting the door was the moment that I realized something was different. You don’t just suddenly feel like there’s a person standing in an empty room with you when you’re thinking about them in your mind. I left the house with a feeling of confusion and silliness, giggling nervously like a young girl who was just told the tag of her underwear was showing. Days later I was at a coven ritual, totally focussed and in trance, when I felt eyes on me at the edge of the circle. I knew they were his instantly. It kept on like that for weeks, as I felt him here or sensed him there. Sometimes it felt like I would channel him unintentionally, sharing his thoughts and feelings, like we were in the same body. I wasn’t sure how odd this all was… Part of it felt entirely natural. 

The night he introduced himself to me was the night that I thought I’d lost my mind. I’d been in an argument with my boyfriend, something that never happened then, and I left in fury at almost 2AM. I jumped in my car and plugged in my iPod, which immediately started to play the playlist I’d made for Dacus throughout his creation. I listened to it through hot ears and with tearstained cheeks. After an hour of driving aimlessly, I parked in the lot of my favorite cafe, now closed and empty. I leaned my head against my steering wheel and tried to pull myself together, expanding my consciousness to the world around me, hoping maybe something would give me a sign. 

Someone was sitting next to me. It was an almost physical sensation, like when you know someone is beside you because of their warmth and density. I could smell light aftershave and worn leather. I could hear a smoky, rumbly, British voice, and soft, steady breathing. And I could see him. His name escaped my lips in a near-silent question. The response came as a low and wistful, “Yeah.”

I asked what he was doing here, what was happening, what was he?! He brushed my questions to the side and moved right into what he’d come to give me. A lecture about bereavement and regret. He reminded me of the people he’d loved and lost, like his parents, his family, his friends. He reminded me about her and how he’d helplessly watched her slip from this world from behind hospital glass. He reminded me of regretful things said and done, and how they later played in loops like madness in his head… Then he reminded me of this wife and about his daughter. How lightly he treaded around them, and how carefully he spoke, to avoid such regret ever again… I don’t remember the exact words he spoke, but I listened for several moments. I recall noticing my heart rate had slowed as I listened to his voice, how calm I suddenly was. Turning to look at him in the passenger’s seat, I felt like I could have reached out and touched him, though physically my eyes saw nothing.

When the low rumble of his voice ebbed, and he’d finished saying his piece, I breathed deeply and wholly for the first time in hours. I turned the key and started my car. Thoughts of the things my boyfriend and I had said to each other rang through my head, and an apology began forming in my mouth. Knowing he was still sitting beside me, I spoke a quiet “thank you,” and in response I heard a final request rumble smokily through the back of my mind. 

“Lets go home.”

[nerdybff]

There's Got to be a Better Way: Take a Break!

Help a nerd out! Donna asks, “What is the best tool or app to make sure I’m taking regular stretching and exercise breaks from the computer at work?”

The bad news: We didn’t get our nerd’s responses on this inquiry. The awesome news: Beth just wrote a section of her new book about this very challenge. Here is a sneak peak!

  Step Away from the Computer

When smoking in the office became taboo, the tobacco addicts took work breaks to huddle together in the smoking alcove outside.

If one looked to find any kind of benefit from the smoke breaks, it was the fact that works left their desks to walk around every few hours. These days many of us park ourselves in front of our monitor when the workday begins and only move for bathroom breaks or to sweep by the desk of the wonderful person who always keeps candy in a jar.

Today people who nag you about your heath say sitting is the new fettuccini Alfredo. Sitting all day at a desk can cause spine curvature, carpel tunnel syndrome, eye strain and a multitude of problems with your heart health and overall fitness. The health detriments add insult to injury because chances are you’re stuck at your computer trying to keep up with the crazy pace of our crazy busy lives.

But fear not! From the early years of web apps, developers have offered tools to help you remember to sit up straight and take regular breaks. Here are a handful of tools and gadgets that help us.

Regular Breaks

Site that Traps Your Curser Until You Take a Break

regularbreaks.com

From the maker of one of my favorite older tools, Big Stretch by MonkeyMatt.com (ok, it may be that I love it just for his name), we have Regular Breaks, a web app that forces you to take breaks while you’re working away.

Move It

Activity Break Tool

thepegeekapps.com/moveit

This one’s made for teachers to help students get moving, but it also works for the office. Move It helps you take breaks with exercises designed to get your heartrate up for brief intervals. It’s an iOS app or Windows download, but you can use it with Chrome as well.

Then Try…

PYV

Site that Gives Your Eyes a Break

protectyourvision.com

Protectyourvision.org offers a cool little web app with this adorable mascot that focuses on giving your eyes a break. I’m a little concerned that the page hasn’t been updated in a while, but the nerdy cartoon makes me love it.

Also Check Out…

F.lux

Computer Lighting Adjustment Tool

justgetflux.com

My (completely awesome) former assistant Claire Parrish stumbled upon this tool: f.lux adapts the lighting level of your computer’s display to the time of day, such as warm at night and like sunlight during the day. After staring 8 hours at your screen, you’ll appreciate the mellow and adjusting light.

Hot Topic: How Can Gadgets Help Keep Me Moving?

Today’s wearables have built-in motion sensors that can nudge you when you’ve been sitting too long. My Apple Watch clanks me every hour to remind me to stand and be active for one minute, and if I do it 12 times in one day, I receive praise and sometimes even a badge. Silly as that sounds, it does motivate me to move from my computer and celebrate when I “win.”

Of course, the Apple Watch is a pretty pricey toy as an activity monitor, so you might try other fitness trackers, many of which run less than a hundred bucks.

You can also find gadgets to help with your posture. UpRight and Lumo Lift sense when you start slouching and remind you to sit up. Darma does it with a seat cushion. Boy do I need one of those!

There’s Got to be a Better Way: Take a Break! was originally published on Your Nerdy Best Friend