Wow, things have gone more than a little topsy turvy since March haven't they? For many of us, our daily routines bare little resemblance to what they did pre Covid. We’re spending a lot more time at home, and many of us are working at home now too.
There are some great benefits to working at home, no traffic anyone?! But one of the downsides is that we don't have the fancy ergonomic desk chairs and full sized desktop computers that we do at the office. We're spending hours and hours a day, sitting at the kitchen table, or on our beds, or couches hunched over our laptops. Over time, these less than ideal postures translate to chronic pain.
Here at the clinic we're seeing people coming in more than ever for neck pain, back pain, and stress. So what can you do to keep yourself feeling good? Read on for our favorite ways to feel better while working from home.
1. Do the "stoplight exercise." When you are working on a computer, or looking at your phone, you have a tendency to crane your head forward to get a better look at the screen. Over time that pushes your head in front of your frame causing "forward head carriage." This puts strain on your stabilizing muscles in your neck and shoulders, causing those achy, stiff, uncomfortable shoulders that you feel constantly. In order to counter act that you can do a simple exercise in the car to push your head back over your frame. When you're at a stoplight gently push your head into the head rest behind you. *** IMPORTANT- do not tilt your chin up. That is not the correct direction. Instead push your head straight back, as if you are trying to touch the back of your head to the back of your car. Press and hold for 3 seconds, and let go. Repeat for the length of time the stoplight is red. And of course, if you aren't driving anywhere, you can do this exercise at home too. Just push your head back onto a pretend head rest. Do 3 repetitions a few times a day and your neck and back will thank you!
2. Stretch out your pecs. When your arms are constantly in front of you your pectoral muscles shorten and tighten, leading to more pain and imbalance in your back muscles. So open your chest up! Stretch your pecs out by placing your hand on a wall or door frame, straightening your arm, and rotating away from that hand. Hold for 10 seconds each side. Another benefit of this stretch is that it really opens up your lung channel, which in Eastern Medicine, acupuncture theory is associated with sadness/depression. Stretching out this channel moves stagnated emotions of grief, and makes us more resilient to depression.
3. Make sure your screen is at eye level. Do whatever you have to do to make sure that your screen is at your eye level, whether that means stacking up old phone books, or putting your laptop on a TV tray, your eyes must be on level with your screen otherwise you will be putting excess strain on the stabilizing muscles in your neck and shoulders for several hours a day. If you have a laptop you'll need to get a separate keyboard so that your arms can be bent at 90 degrees when you're typing. A laptop stand, and a detachable keyboard are small investments that can make a huge difference in your neck and back health.
4. Actually make yourself go outside! The list of research backed benefits to time spent outdoors is long. But here are some of our favorites. It boosts your immune system by giving it a dose of natural Vitamin D. Airborne chemical messengers produced by plants increase numbers of immune enhancing white blood cells in your body too. Enjoying a great view is more than just good for the soul. It’s great for your eyes too. Looking out into the distance counteracts some of the strain our eyes take every day by staring at screens just a short distance from our eyes. And best of all, being outside gives your energy, creativity, and focus a lift.
5. Do food prep days. If you have extra time on your hands you can really take advantage of it by making a lot of your food for the week at once. In general, the food that you make at home is going to be healthier than food you’re getting eating out since you know what you’re putting into it. Pre prepared meals made with whole natural ingredients make it easier for you to make good food choices during your working week. In these uncertain times it’s more important than ever to take care of our health, and feeding ourselves healthy homemade food is one of the best ways to do that.
