Work from home can get overwhelming in the beginning but it turns into a nightmare after a few weeks. Most of the people are going through this situation these days where they are working from home for weeks. No office-like setup, no proper sitting arrangement, no time-table and a lot of lethargy. This is what work from home looks like for most of us. Only lucky people have a proper office-at-home setup wherein things are arranged in a similar manner to your office desk. For others, work from home has become a pain in the neck. The long hours of sitting are taking a toll on your physical health in many ways. Neck pain is one of the prominent signs that you need to improvise your sitting posture to avoid more problems.
Importance of right posture
How you sit or lie determines your health. Maintaining a correct posture is very important to ward off several pains in your body. With work from home situation, your sitting posture has a direct impact on your upper body which includes waist, spine, shoulders, neck and even head.
It is said that our eyes and the screen of your laptop or computer should be in level. This would minimize slouching and bending in order to see the screen and work.
Bending the head and slouching would increase the muscle strain on the body tissues which would trigger pain in different parts especially neck and shoulders.
Also Read: 5 Daily Habits That Might Trigger Sciatica
What is the right posture?
There is no such posture that needs to be maintained for the entire day. The body needs flexibility and movement to prevent stiffness. Those who think that sitting with your back straight is the best idea, are wrong. This may lead to muscle stiffness and back pain by the end of the day. You need to keep moving and do adjustments to fight neck pain.
Tips to prevent neck pain
Stop Slouching
First and foremost, avoid slouching as it is the major cause of pain. You must stop leaning forward or slouch as it puts a lot of pressure on your spine and neck. It is better if you keep a pillow at the back to support your neck.
Change your posture
Sitting continuously for hours is a bad habit that you need to change right now. Stand and move every hour to keep the body active. This would reduce the body load and unnecessary strain on the neck. Sit straight for some time and then lean forward and do some stretching.
Also Read: How To Keep Your Workstation Infection and Coronavirus-free
Take breaks
Get up to grab a cup of coffee or snacks. Do not rely upon anybody else or ask anybody. Do things on your own whether it be refilling the water bottle or grabbing munchies. This would help in keeping you active and engaged. Take a 5-minute break every hour to feel refreshed.
Set your work desk
The best way to escape all these pains while you are working from home, set up your workstation. For example, prepare a stack of books and keep your laptop on it to match the level of your eyes. This would reduce the strain on your neck.
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