Wearied from watching the decision of the Scottish people since 2am, I went off to Stowmarket Chamber Breakfast at 06:45 where I was surrounded by inspirational champions of business and enterprise. We each did 60 seconds on our business and I wanted to share one really useful piece of advice from Jim Darrah of J-Jaz Services and Training.
Do you sit at your computer too long? Do you get back ache sometimes? Jim advised us that often the ache is caused by the fact that we are using our hand/forearm muscles lots (typing, mouse, etc) which are activating the frontal muscles of our chest (sorry don’t know proper names). Left unused are the musicles in the back of our chest, between the shoulder blades. Slowly they object and start to ache. Even as I type this I can feel it. I NEED A TIN OF BEANS.
Move your chair away from the desk. Take an unbreakable object with a bit of weight. Maybe a bottle of water or a tin of beans. Place it in your left hand. Pass it behind your back, and hand it over to your right hand which needs to be behind your back to receive. Then bring your right hand to the front and hand it to your left hand. Repeat. You are just moving the object around your body at about waist height. No need to strain. Take it gently. Repeat 20 times. Then reverse the circle passing it clockwise from the right to the left. Makes no difference which way you do first. 20 times again. That’s it.
In a couple of minutes you will have re-activated the muscles in your back. They will be grateful to be involved in your working life once again, and they will stop aching for attention. That’s it.
Now Jim is ex Army and works flat out offering support in occupational fitness, massage muscle work, and health & safety training. He tells me he probably has 1,000 exercises which work different muscle groups. This is one I can use without going to the gym. And most importantly I know why I am getting the ache, and will never forget the idea of A TIN OF BEANS.
My thanks to Jim for letting me share this one. The joy of the Stowmarket Chamber, and 4N Networking and other gatherings of freelance and small business practitioners, is their (our) willingness to share ideas, good practice, and contacts.
If you are someone who spends too long alone behind a computer then, a) get yourself A TIN OF BEANS and b) get out and find a networking group locally or business specific where you will go regularly and build friends. You can read any number of books on Networking – but actually starting to do it is the big leap. Do it once. Take the leap. You will be welcomed and you will gain all sorts of very practical knowledge and connections. Thank you Jim
PS – and I sold 3 copies of my book Your Life In Theatre, and I have coffee meets set up with three people whose whole business worlds are about working with small business to help them find the right ways to survive and thrive. My CGO Coaching practice may be useful to their clients. Worth the early start…maybe not 2am next time.
Cheers
Chris
