They said I was healthy. So I was referred for a series of massage. I was very skeptical but decided to give it a try. A massage therapist turned out to be a real professional. The pain is gone, and if I follow his recommendations, then everything will be fine with my neck as well as with the spine in general. The massage therapist was also pleasant to talk to. He told how many patients he had. Different professions and, therefore, different medical history. For example, dentists who sit on the edge of a chair all day and lean forward in an unnatural position. Or the cooks who spend the whole day on their feet conjuring over food with their heads bowed. What can we do, change professions? In fact, you need to watch your habits and use so-called workplace hygiene.
Observe how you stand and sit.
At first, I thought I had neck pain due to switching to remote work. This is only partly true. At the office, since I was surrounded by colleagues, I tried to sit elegantly, with a straight back and with my feet on the floor. At home, and not on a video call, I used to sit cross-legged or just bent legs with my knees almost at my ears. To onlookers, I appeared like a smoothed shrimp. It's scary to imagine what my spine experienced. The massage therapist advised me to always sit correctly. The first few days were a nightmare. The whole body ached, probably it rebuilt. But now I’m used to it and I don’t even notice how I sit up straight.
Breathe deeply.
Most of us are not aware of how we breathe. If you observe this process, then you will understand that you do not breathe deeply, but only superficially, and with the upper body, "chest". There are a lot of techniques on the Internet that help you learn how to breathe correctly. I practice one of the yoga branches called panama, and I also do WIM Hot breathing regularly. It seems to me that if it were not for the breathing techniques, then I would not have been able to survive some challenges in my life. When everything goes up and down, deep breathing as an anchor keeps me in the present moment.
Move as much as possible.
Yes, we probably moved more with the daily commute into the office, but do not forget that the commute doesn't count. I'm not making this up, but scientists have proven that aimless walking has a beneficial effect on our body and brain, but running from the subway to the office, alas, does not give the same effect. I like to do a little sport, but it is not necessary at all. 7,500 steps a day is enough. This is again not me, but scientists. They proved that the more people walked, the better their physiological indicators were. However, after reaching 7,500 steps per day, the subjects showed no further improvement. So someone tricked us with those 10,000 steps.
Meditate.
You don't have to sit for three hours in the lotus position. Just sit quietly in silence, listening to your breathing for 2-5 minutes. Again, my scientist friends say that we will only benefit from meditation. Those who meditate are calmer, more creative, etc. Well, can you give yourself two minutes?
Organize your workplace.
We spend a lot of time working, so we need to make it comfortable and enjoyable. Buy yourself a comfortable chair, lamp, laptop stand. Your body will thank you, and you will feel better, be in a better mood and work more efficiently. But the latter is as a side effect, the most important thing is your well-being.
Take breaks.
I am a dedicated fan of the Pomodoro technique. It's very popular. You plan your day into intervals, usually of 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro. After 4 pomodoro take a longer break. It sounds very simple, but I personally made one huge mistake. I didn't take breaks between pomodoro. I made the first one, and then I thought that I wasn’t tired, I started the second one. Then everything started spinning, one of the colleagues called, then a team video meeting began, then an interview with the candidate. As a result, by lunchtime I was usually completely whacked out and could not even make it to the bathroom. That's not normal. Don't do that. 25 minutes maximum, then get up, walk around, drink a glass of water. And don't forget about a longer break after 4 pomodoro.
Get a massage.
If you haven't already, go for a neck and/or back massage. Highly recommend, you will not regret it. This is a very cool investment in your health. Even if your spine is perfect (which I doubt), treat yourself to a massage once a month. This will allow you to maintain your spine in a healthy state and prevent possible problems with it in time.
Everything that I have listed here is based on my experience. What techniques do you use? I am very interested and will be glad if you share.
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