Posture Lemons
/Imagine what you'd feel like if you were sucking the juice out of a lemon.
Not the taste, but how your body would feel. Something like the image above? Tense neck shoulders, face and shoulders pulling foward?
I think I just described the state of most people when they're sitting at the computer. Look at the picture again and imagine that the lemon is gone and the person's eyes are open...staring intently at a screen.
You might be working intensely at the computer or you might be rushing around a lot. At times you might not "feel" stressed, but you could still be reacting with a stressed response to things in your environment, like a bright computer screen, squinting to read small print, loud city noises, or long to-do-lists.
This can all add up to a tight neck and tense shoulders.
Try being mindful of noticing how your body reacts to even seemingly little things throughout the day.
If you've been told to "just sit up straight" and have found that frustrating or hard to accomplish, it's totally normal.
It would be like if the guy in the picture tried to stand up straight and relax his shoulders, but was completely unaware of the lemon.
If you start to notice the "lemons" that are making you tense or slouched throughout the day, you've covered the first step toward improving your posture, which is awareness.
Start noticing what you do with your head, neck, shoulders and back when you look at your computer or phone, when you do the dishes, or pick up a bag. If you notice and just slow down a little bit, can you do the action with a little less strain?
Want to learn more? Click here to find out about online lessons.