Yes, I remember that, Hops... and oh, how I squirmed!!!
What helped, towards the last months of being trapped in my chair at the computer - was to at least free myself from the "have to" of being completely, totally, only focussed on work. To give myself breaks. It actually helped me work better and problem-solve, too.
When my T suggested this to me, I protested: but I can't... they won't let me!! And she said - well, you go to the bathroom, don't you? Even just 2 minutes of relaxing/centering kept me from feeling like a cog in the machine. When that started not being enough, a programmer friend (who I now miss a lot) suggested I play online puzzles... and I found one that I liked a lot, that was always different and that I could play for 5-10 minutes at a time... go work.... and then play another round. For years I protested loudly that I couldn't play those kinds of games... it was even a matter of false pride... "see, I'm not wasting time at work like THOSE guys...".
And then I discovered that it was just this kind of complete focus-break that actually improved my problem-solving, proofreading, and decision-making (and also interpersonal) skills. Sometimes, I needed a "people" break... and would cruise out to the board, here... or get up and just go talk to someone else in the office until their phone rang. You'd be amazed how welcome you are, when you just "drop by" to ask how they are today, what's going on... and how helpful it is, to just connect one on one with someone during the day... even if just for a minute.
I had been denying myself this kind of time for years. I had no idea how starved I was, for it. My brain actually NEEDS this kind of activity. A resting point; a complete breath; a check of my body... for tension - relax it; for hunger - go eat. Allowing myself that didn't eat up lots of time and helped me be more effective. Paradox... but true.
(OH! and my D always keeps a tiny notebook and pencil with her to jot down phrases that come to her... she writes, also. These later get turned into poems or stories.)
