The following 5 things are small, quit simple habits, that you can add to your every day work life to feel a bit better in your body. You don't always have to do all of them. Just pick and choose. For the best results possible, connect the habits to something you already do regularly.
We all know that we should move around more and that sitting in front of a screen all day is probably not good for our spines, eyes, wrists, and also our minds. It is really healthy for your spine to move in all it's 6 directions, but when we are sitting we are usually limiting ourselves to one of them. Our shoulders roll forward, our upper backs are rounded and our head is farther forward than it should be.
Here are 3 simple movements, that only take a minute or two, that can make your spine happier.
I suggest that you do them every time you come back from the bathroom. You can do them seated or standing; you can move your whole body or just your neck; but whichever option you choose... MOVE THAT SPINE!
Our hands are not made to rest on a keyboard all day. They are made to be used and moved and because our daily environment doesn't provide the right kind of movement we need to remind ourselves to do it! I am sure there are times in your day where you wait for something. No matter if it's an online meeting that should start any minute or your coffee that is slowly dripping out of the machine. Use the waiting time to stretch your wrists. If you talk on the phone regularly (which I would recommend you use a headset for, because the phone-holding elbow is a thing!) you could use hanging up as a trigger to remind you to move your wrists or stretch them while you talk. Honestly, any kind of movement that is different than typing is good. Rolling, stretching, moving the fingers. If you want instruction, click the toggle below to see my favorite stretches!
Our feet are the part of our bodies that connect us to the ground most of the time. Being aware of your feet and how they rest on the floor has a grounding effect on body and mind.
By wiggling your toes, spreading them apart and trying to move them individually and as controlled as possible, you can gain even more awareness of what is going on under your desk. If you are like me and prefer to sit with your legs elevated or up on the chair, it can be helpful for your posture to set your feet down and sit upright for a while. That doesn't mean that you have to sit like this all the time, but you can go back there every now and then to lengthen and ground.
If you can, you could get up every time your phone rings and walk around a little while you are talking. When you sit back down, make an effort to ground your feet, and sit with a long spine for a couple of minutes. (Be aware of your surrounding, though. When my fiancée and I share our kitchen table as a home office, it freaks me out when he starts pacing while talking on the phone 🙈)
If you are more flexible and are not sharing your space with anyone, you might even stand up and stomp your feet on the ground several times. This is a grounding exercises and also helps to get rid of big emotions. If you don't wear shoes while working, it might also be fun to keep a little lacrosse or tennis ball under your desk. You can kick it around, move your lower body and can also use it to massage the soles of your feet. There is a lot going on on the soles of our feet. Massaging them can provide some facia release in other body parts, like your legs and lower back as well.
You might already know it, but a reminder is always good. When you look at the screen all day, your eyes get tired. They are never challenged to adapt to different distances or light and that makes them lazy.
Our breath is the perfect anchor whenever we feel like we lose the ground under our feet. When you feel like things get too much or you feel swept with emotions, coming back to your breath might allow you to ground yourself, step back and take a minute before you snap or react in a way that you would regret after.
Of course you can just take a couple of breaths or count your breaths to bring your focus there, but there is an exercise that is even more effective and that works especially well when you feel angry or frustrated. (I usually teach this when I teach kids or teenagers, but I think it works just as well for adults)
Article by: Theresa Üngerbock
Theresa is a Notion Ambassador, Teacher, Coach, Artist, Learner, based in Vienna,Austria.
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