(from It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be, image via)

• Leah Dieterich’s thxthxthx is her daily exercise in gratitude, including the gem above.
• Grace from design*sponge shares how she deals with negativity in blog comments
• The Good to Know Project is an online magazine full of advice and inspiration from artists/illustrators/designers on creativity and business. Issues cover topics like personal style, time management and plagiarism.
• When more is decidedly less
• 34 entrepreneurs, celebrities, athletes and politicians share the greatest risks they ever took

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

•  Lovely Charts is a free, online diagramming software that is extremely simple and intuitive to use. And the results are, well, lovely.

•  An interesting read on the psychology of color in web design

•  The business owner’s social media tool kit over at Inc.

•  10 Social Media Metrics you should be monitoring

Our camera is such a powerful tool and we are blessed to be able to tell some of the most amazing stories through our lens. Stories of hope and heartache, tragedy and triumph, real, honest, emotional, stories that because of us will be passed from generation to generation to generation. Getting published is great, but it’s only a vehicle to allow us more opportunities for story-telling. -Garrett Nudd

p.s. Save the date for our next meet up on April 22! Yes, that’s next week and we’ll get the details out soon! Update: Sorry for the confusion, but we’re not hosting a meet up tonight, but we’re still working on organizing a meet up very soon! Will post details as soon as we have everything finalized!

your path to happiness

What does working on a computer all day, video games, watching TV, driving, eating, and riding an exercise bike have in common? They all involve sitting; and depending on your posture habits they will also involve rounded shoulders and a head that protrudes forward. Over time, this posture often becomes ingrained through our lifestyles and can lead to trigger points in your neck and shoulders, headaches and back pain.

The other day I was doing a bit of grocery shopping and did a double-take of a man who walked by. It wasn’t because of the way he dressed or anything he said; this man had the worst case of “computer guy” posture I’d ever seen. His upper back and shoulders were rounded and his neck extended out past them like a turtle looking for a snack. The thing that was the most shocking was the fact that he wasn’t grey-haired or using a cane; he was still in his 30’s.

Before you freak out wondering if that’s how you’ll look in five years, keep reading. First, understand and create awareness of how your workspace and body positioning affects how you function in your everyday life. Then, by performing a few simple exercises regularly and arranging your working area for optimal performance, you will be on your way to improving your posture and the way you look and feel. One of my clients was getting compliments at work about her posture and felt better after training with me in only four weeks.

Improving Posture
Areas that typically become tight in people who spend a considerable amount of time in front of a computer, laptop or drafting table are the pectorals, latissimus, neck, hamstrings and hip flexors. Areas that typically become underused are the mid back, core and glutes. Today, however, I’m going to give you three simple activities that will help address upper body posture. Perform these in order on a regular basis and soon you will be doing what you do best with less upper body stress and perhaps get some compliments of your own.

Pectoral Stretch

Pectoral Stretch

• Stand in a doorway with arm lifted outside of the jamb at 90 degrees
• Step forward through the doorway with same leg, creating a stretch in the pectoral region

Latissimus Stretch

Latissiumus Stretch

• Stand holding a door frame or another fixed object with the hand of the side you want to stretch
• Shift your hips back and pull slightly elongating your spine and stretching the latissimus (lat) muscles from your arm pit to your low back
• Keep your knees bent and your back flat

Scapular Wall Slides

• Stand tall with your head, shoulders and hips against a wall
• Lift and bend your arms and place your elbows next to your sides with your fingers toward the ceiling and the back of your arms and hands touching the wall as if someone told you, “stick ‘em up.”
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down and keep your elbows on the wall.
• Slowly slide hands and elbows up toward the ceiling keeping contact with the wall
• Still pushing shoulders, arms, and elbows against the wall, slowly lower them to starting position
• You will feel this exercise working your upper back

Exercises alone aren’t a cure-all if you don’t also address your workspace set-up. In my experience of observing workstations for all sorts of individuals from engineers and auditors to administrative assistants, many individuals aren’t aware of what constitues a healthy set-up and what possibilities exist to help them work more comfortably.  The best online resource and checklist I’ve come across is located on OSHA’s website.

Although the best posture is one that is rarely static, these are the five changes to my own home set-up that have helped the most:

1. Purchased a laptop riser, document holder, external keyboard and mouse and use them.
2. Placed my computer screen directly in front of my keyboard instead of to the side
3. Brought my computer screen closer to me at eye level instead of low or across the desk to decrease forward leaning (and started wearing my glasses).
4. Adjusted my chair height so I can type comfortably.
5. Performed the above stretches every day.

By improving posture awareness, performing simple exercises and making small changes to your workspace, you will be able to work comfortably from home without looking and feeling like you have a desk job. Good luck!

-Chandra

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• DIY Butcher Paper Wall decor from Ruche’s spring lookbook. (via notcot)

(via)