Combat “Screen Boredom” with an Active Desktop Calendar

If you’re a person who goes to work, fires up your computer and sits in front of it all day as if it was your best friend, then I’m sure you can appreciate just how beneficial an active desktop calendar could be for your state of health and well being.

And you’re probably well aware too that a full day of “computer work” can end with bleary eyes and a strong need to get away from the desk, computer and work environment. Most people just want to come home and enjoy what life has to offer.

This is where active desktop calendars (also known as “personal information managers” or digital calendars) come in to the picture. Of course, they’re not an immediate solution to long spells of typing, nor are they guaranteed to make you relax more. However, they can help a little to sooth your eyes, and at least provide a somewhat relaxing “landscape” to daydream or disappear into – which is a nice touch if you spend a lot of hours at your desk staring deeply into your “all knowing” LCD companion.

Active desktop calendars do this by changing the “visual background” of your computer’s desktop, usually into photographic images and scenery of your choice, and will integrate a neat desktop calendar (and associated calendar features) into your desktop as well.

So, let’s talk about the top five reasons you might want to consider using a desktop calendar for your home office or workplace:

1. Active desktop calendars can pretty up your screen “real estate”, plus are more likely to be healthier to look at than a normal computer screen. And which would you prefer to look at? A stunning landscape photograph, or a flat blue computer screen with lots of little “to-do” lists stuck all over it?
2. Many desktop calendars will conveniently change their picture every month, or you can configure them to change exactly when you want. This means you get a nice, fresh kaleidoscope of pictures and feelings, where every month (or day, or hour) brings a new surprise.
3. Digital calendars are incredibly convenient. At the click of a mouse you can contact friends and colleagues, easily plan out what you need to accomplish, “see” future dates and quickly view the day’s appointments.
4. You can take charge of what you want to view. Some of the cooler digital calendars allow you add the photos of your choice. Therefore you could add photos of your friends, pets, travel, or nature – or even your most wanted goals and desires.
   Motivational images tend to work well – they constantly remind you of your big goals!
5. You can also get more advanced digital calendars too. These ones usually cost a pretty penny to buy and can do “super convenient” stuff like integrate with Outlook, share appointments with other people, show more than one month on the desktop, set alarms, add your pictures to the existing desktop background, and lots more.

Of course the thing about active desktop calendars is that they can’t do all the work for you! If that were what you’re after, you’d be better off hiring a personal assistant. But, in the meanwhile, just remember the more organised you are, the more productive you are!