I have been thinking how great it would be to have a treadmill-table and a laptop. That way it would be possible to get exercise while I write.

Well, there’s no space for the treadmill table. And I don’t have a laptop. (i have been drooling over one at the local Mac store, but so far the price has been too much for me… I wonder how long they will allow me to enter the store anymore. “Oh no, here she comes again!”)

We’ve all heard that sitting still for long periods of time is hazardous to your health. So, when I write I most often simply forget about time. And then after two-three hours I notice my shoulders are aching and my back is stiff.

I tried all sorts of timers on the computer to remind me to get off the chair. The problem was I forgot about them when I had my Scrivener screen in front of me in full screen mode. Also I do not like timers that give a sound alarm when the time is up. When I have forgotten myself into a story, any sudden noise simply scares the bejeebies out of me (the same when I am reading a good book).

So I needed something to remind me to get off the chair and move about. And that something could not be a timer in my computer. Also a watch on the table did not feel like the right option.

Instead I got these two hourglasses. The bigger one is for 45 minutes, and the smaller one for 15 minutes. I have the bigger one right next to my computer screen. When all the sand has trickled to the lower bulb and the 45 minutes are up, I immediately notice it. I get up, and turn the 15 minute hour glass around. And for that 15 minutes I go about the home and arrange things. I’ve been cleaning my kitchen cupboards, vacuuming, dusting… And it actually doesn’t feel like a chore at all. (And that is a lot coming from my mouth – yours truly and the vacuum cleaner have never been the best of friends).

I’m sitting here wondering have I actually found a way to a) not sit still for too long periods of time and b) to clean the home in a way that feels like fun. So far, a few weeks into the method I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself for coming up with it.