are you taking care of yourself in the studio?

I’ve been working away madly on Christmas presents (unfortunately, I just can’t show any pictures until after Christmas!) and spent most of my morning & afternoon hunched over my sewing machine.

I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to paying attention to how I’m feeling as I work. Inspiration or even just plain old deadlines seem to take precedence. How many times have you sat at your sewing machine until your shoulders cramped up? Or worked on hand-embroidery until your eyes refused to focus?

I realized I had been so involved in what I was doing that I was incredibly sore & thirsty. Yes, the project is looking great, but how healthy is it to treat my body that way?

I got up, stretched, drank some water (okay, lots of water) and then spent 20 minutes doing Pilates. I felt so much better afterwards that I was able to work better.

Amazing how that works, huh?

So next time you’re focused on a project, keep in mind that we all have needs – and it won’t improve your work to ignore them! What is your body telling you? Do you need a glass of water? Are your shoulders tight and need stretching? Would your eyes benefit from a break?