We all know what it’s like: you’re sitting at your desk, eyes unfocused, staring vaguely through your monitor, one hand resting languidly on your mouse. You’ve been concentrating on a problem for so long that it no longer makes any sense and you’re experiencing disquieting visions of the future.
This is the time to refocus your mind!
The amount of time that we spend at work has been growing steadily and significantly for the last two decades. Alongside time that we’re physically spending at our desks, we’re also working harder.
And there really is only so much Red Bull that a body can take.
So what’s the most effective way of clearing your mind to refocus on a problem? Simply put: doing something pointless and pleasant.
The following five websites all fall into that category, providing a series of brief distractions that require very little brain power. It’s like giving your grey cells a sit-down.
Of course, everything should be done in moderation and I need to make it clear (probably for some sort of legal reason) that you should only undertake these activities for a couple of minutes.
This is not an alternative to finalising the figures for the Johnson account.
There’s something weirdly captivating about Fly A Line. The little line follows your mouse as you move it around, enabling you to swoop it back and around itself in intricate spirals and knots.
2 Pointer Pointerhttp://www.pointerpointer.com/
It’s the simplicity of this website that makes it so captivating. Leave your mouse in one position on the screen and the next image that comes up will feature someone pointing at your mouse. No no, this isn’t witchcraft, just a clever algorithm. The real beauty of this site though is the choice of photos. Go on, give it a go.
3 Koalas to the max!http://www.koalastothemax.com/
If any of these selections have got an ‘objective’, then this is it. Move your cursor over each circle to make it ‘pop’ into four more. That’s it, keep going…
4 Paint a Nebula
http://29a.ch/sandbox/2011/neonflames/
http://29a.ch/sandbox/2011/neonflames/
For the more creative amongst us who just can’t find a legitimate reason to bring in their canvas and oils. Select a colour, drag your mouse across an area of the black screen in front of you and populate a multi-coloured nebula of your own creation. It’s sort of Bob Ross meets Brian Cox.
5 Weave Silkhttp://weavesilk.com/
Perhaps my favourite and the most complicated, Weave Silk lets you create captivating geometric shapes and patterns from a wide selection of colours. Changing the settings for how many folds in a rotation, whether the pattern is mirrored across the centre or spirals outwards adds additional design dimensions.
It’s like your Spirograph went to Woodstock and never came back.
DISCLAIMER: Please remember that this is not intended to offer you an alternative to getting up from your desk and moving around. In fact, it is highly recommended that you spend some time away from your desk during the day!
Now get back to work!
