metaViper

Workdays can get long, and the human brain works better when it’s able to meander. Here’s a great way to pull your mind away from those deep thoughts for a little while: Sudokular is offering free Sudoku online in a slick flash interface.

I enjoyed a couple of their “quick games” this afternoon. If you’d like to compete with your peers during the daily challenge, sign up for an account. They even support OpenID, which is a “decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity”. Too many usernames and passwords anyone? OpenID is an initiative to fix that.

See? Just talking about Sudoku led to another interesting tangent. Sudokular sports a slate and pointed design without unnecessary frills. It’s a fun game, and the interface is a pleasure to use.

This is a great way to slide in a few minutes of down time and launch into the next part of the day refreshed.

It’s easy to forget the world exists when staring into a monitor. That’s where all the attention goes, and what focuses that attention? The eyes.

After hours of focusing eyes on even the best monitor, strain sets in. That can lead to all sorts of nasty things like headaches, dizziness, and vertigo. The easiest (and cheapest) solution is to build in time away from the computer every day. I know it’s hard, those flickering pixels are a siren’s call, but be strong!

Still here huh? Then let me introduce you to Workrave. It’s free software that prompts the user for periodic microbreaks, which can include stretching eyes, hands, and legs. Coworkers may look at you funny when a sheep pops up on your screen prompting you to bend your fingers in a particular pattern, but isn’t it worth it to preserve those million-dollar digits?

I thought so.

Workrave only prompts as often as it’s configured to. I generally recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something at least 20 feet away and do some mild stretching. It helps to focus on an object in the distance so that different muscles in the eyes get some exercise.

In the long run this will make you more productive as your mind stays fresh and extremeties limber.