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There are times that all I want to do is go outside and soak up sun when I have been in my cube for 3 hours. I have come up with a few strategies:
1. I do my best organizing and basic writing on paper, not the computer. So I take over our company's library, sit on the couch and scribble intros and flow outlines on a notepad. Then once I have lots of ideas and a direction, I go back and hammer away at the keyboard.
2. If I am stuck and bored (usually when I have proofed this *&$% manual 8 times and waiting on a SME or a new beta), I find something other than writing to do. I will research new technologies on the web, do some design work for our CD covers, manual covers, etc. This lets me break away from the staring at words all day.
3. I keep books about our industry and computer application manuals at my desk. If I need a break from the screen I whip out my "CorelDRAW 8 for Dummies," "Construction Surveying and Layout," or the newest issue of Technical Communication or DESIGN. I'm keeping up on current trends and giving my brain a rest.
4. And sometimes .. I just wander around the building to get a new perspective.
