10 quick ways to relax in the middle of your work day

In this post, I’m going to list some simple and quick ways you can create relaxation in your work day. Since I am coming from a massage therapist’s perspective, I promise many muscle relaxing stretches in this list. As always, check with your doctor before performing any exercises or stretches. Enjoy!

 

1. Take a moment to just sit and breathe. There are many breathing suggestions in a previous post on this blog. Breathe!

 

2. Neck pain can get in the way of relaxing. One way to relax the back of your neck is to give the front of your neck some slack. You probably spend a lot (if not all) of your day with your head forward of your shoulders. This stretch will help counteract that poor posture and relax your neck. Two images below illustrate how to do this stretch. Pressing on the center of the chest with your hands and tilting your head back gently, give the front of your neck and upper chest a nice stretch. Breathe and hold stretch for at least 20 seconds. Pressing on the upper side of your chest and tilting your head back and angled to the opposite side will give the front sides of your neck and chest a nice stretch. Again, breathe and hold stretch for at least 20 seconds. Remember to also stretch the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Make sure you stop to refuel with a nice healthy snack. Some people get so busy, they don’t even remember to eat. To help keep your stress at a minimum, your body and brain needs nutrition. Don’t do anything else when you eat your snack. Fully enjoy those vitamins and minerals.

4. On their jobs, most people I know spend a lot of time with their arms in front of them. They are doing things like writing, computing, or maybe even driving? This is a great way to relieve that pain or tension that happens between your shoulder blades when you work with your arms in front of you. To do this stretch, you can grab a wall or door frame, keeping your arm straight and twist away from your hand. Breathe and hold stretch for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to stretch both sides.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Think about things you are grateful for. When you are feeling grateful anxiety just melts.

 

6. Many jobs require sitting for long periods. If your job is one of these, then this is a great stretch for you. This stretch helps relax the hip flexors that are short for long periods of sitting. Relaxing the hip flexors can help decrease low back pain. To accomplish this stretch, you start by getting down on one leg like you are going to propose to someone, create a distance between both legs as far as you are comfortable with, and lean into your front leg. You may put your hands on the front thigh or a wall or chair to balance yourself. Make sure that your front knee does not go over your foot. Breathe and hold stretch for at least 20 seconds.

 

 

 

7. Take a walk. A nice short 5 or 10 minute walk to clear your head and lungs is so refreshing. Walks relieve stress as you work out the stiffness in stagnant muscles.

 

8. To help decrease stress in your shoulders and the sides of your neck, there is a very simple stretch you can do right there in your chair. Put your feet flat on the floor, grab the underside of your chair seat, and slowly tilt your head to the side. Breathe and hold stretch for at least 20 seconds. Again, remember to stretch both sides.

 

 

 

 

9. Sometimes people feel stressed because they are overwhelmed. Make a list of what you have to do and prioritize it. Be realistic with your expectations of what you can accomplish. The world is much better off if you are not stressed than if you get everything done on that to do list.

 

10. The last one on this list is to make sure you drink plenty of water. Nothing can fry your brain and make you more frazzled than being dehydrated.

Thanks for reading my post. I hope you have a relaxing day. PJ Harris, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/

Do you have muscle pain when you wake up in the morning?

Many of the clients coming to my Seattle massage practice are suffering from pain and/or muscle tension when they first wake up in the morning. Some people have low back pain and many have shoulder pain. It leads to reason that they are doing something while they are sleeping to cause themselves this discomfort. Unless they have a serious sleep walking issue, it probably has to do with the position their body is lying in.

 To support your body better while sleeping breaks down to what angle best takes care of your individual joints and how to achieve that optimal angle.

To care for your neck while sleeping on your side, it must be in a neutral position like the picture to the left. There are many types of pillows that can help you achieve this. Ikea has a few and you can try them on a bed the store provides next to the pillows display.

 The best angle for shoulder support when sleeping on your side is for the shoulder to not cave in or angle back. Keeping a neutral position across your chest and upper back as much as possible is better. To do this you can hug a pillow while you sleep. This will help keep your shoulders from curving inward.

When you are also sleeping on your side, the best angle for your legs  is with your knees hip length apart. You can create this angle by placing a pillow the correct amount of thickness between your knees. To support your low back, your legs bent at the hip between a slight and a 90 degree angle is preferred.

When you are sleeping on your back, a great way to support your low back is to put a pillow under your knees.

Now these are just some general ideas. As usual, talk to your health care practitioner for more in depth suggestions. Thank you for reading. PJ Harris, LMP, http://www.pjharris.com/

Ergonomics in the Workplace

Many of the clients I see in my Seattle massage practice have pain due to poor ergonomics at their desks. What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics, when applied to sitting at a desk, is the process of the correct placement and alignment of the joints of your body. When your body is supported in its proper alignment you will decrease your risk of injury.

Here are a few basic ergonomic suggestions to keep your body pain free:

• Feet flat on the floor - Raise or lower your chair or put your feet on something.
• Knees bent at a 90 degree angle - Adjust your seat height or put your feet on something.
• Hips at a 90 degree angle - Move hips as close as possible to the seat back.
• Back supported -  Make sure your seat back supports your back. You could use a little pillow if needed.
• Elbows at a 90 degree angle - Raise or lower your keyboard shelf or adjust your chair.
• Shoulders should be relaxed and not hunched up toward ears.
• Wrists straight - This is yet again a seat height issue
• Eyes level with the top of the screen of your computer monitor.
• The monitor should be an arm’s length away and then adjust the distance for your vision.

There are other ways to reduce your likelihood of pain due to sitting at a desk all day. Stay tuned to this blog and I will post those in the future. Thank you PJ Harris, LMP. http://www.pjharris.com/