Frequently I find myself a victim of what I call DIM Syndrome or diving into monitor syndrome.
I think everyone has experienced this to some degree or another - its that feeling of a slow gravitational sink, pulling and falling head first into the computer monitor.
And before you know it, the shoulders are hunched over, head leaning forward and back arched - a hunchback in the making.
Millions of people experience the negative side-effects of DIM Syndrome.
Everything from sore neck to headaches to the ever-popular lower back pain can be traced to bad posture and unhealthy sitting habits at the computer.
Lets face it, the human body was not designed to sit for hours at a time in one spot and stare forward motionless.
But, since we all must work, and most of us must work at a computer, there are several habits that we can break free of and others that we may wish to adopt in order to keep our health and our sanity.
Sit straight: The spine has a natural curvature which is maintained by automatic muscles and tendons along the spine.
These muscles are linked to the same system that keeps our eyelids up and our lungs moving without our conscious awareness.
Through bad habits we have programmed our bodies to tense additional smaller muscles to take on the work of the automatic ones.
This is exhausting and causes unnecessary strain and tension in the body.
By paying attention and experimenting with slight adjustments in the hips, shoulders, and head we can bring our body into a more natural alignment thereby activating the automatic muscles and relieving the overworked ones.
While sitting in a chair, locate the sit bones.
They are the two bony ridges of the hip bone that are meant to take our weight.
To do so, simply experiment with tilting the pelvis forwards and back.
Notice how this effects the curvature of the spine, and specifically the lower back.
A proper alignment of the hips happens when the tailbone (the lowest part of the vertebral column) reaches down towards the ground/chair while the pubic/lower abdominal area moves up and inward.
This action will naturally reduce some of the curvature of the lower back creating a flatter lower back and cause a slight shift backwards so that the weight of the body is distributed onto the sit bones.
This adjustment also strengthens the abdominal muscles which assist the back muscles in keeping the spine erect.
Shoulders: Having adjusted the lower portion of the body, next come the shoulders/chest.
Explore the range of motion in the shoulders moving them forward and back.
Notice how the forward motion of the shoulders pulls on the muscles of the upper back and tenses the neck.
Imagine somebody taking both shoulders and lifting them forward, up, and back.
Let both shoulders melt down the back.
Repeat several times, inhaling forward pausing at the top, and exhaling to melt.
Do this often throughout the day and you may see a dramatic reduction in stress and tension in the neck and upper back.
Another way to think about this motion is to lift the chest.
Head: Moving onto the head, let the head become heavy and begin to move the head side to side, the up and down, and finally in big circles.
Notice how good this feels on the neck muscles.
Again here, work with the breath and breath into the area of tension, one can work with images of warmth or relaxation if that feels appropriate.
A neutral spine means the head is shifted slightly back and the chin slightly down.
One can also imagine a string tied to the top of the head and somebody lifting us by that string.
This will cause the spine to elongate and straighten, the shoulders to move back, and the head to shift back.
Breath: While our breathing is automatic, it is also intimately linked to our emotional and mental state.
In moments of intense emotions such as anger or sadness, this becomes self evident.
Because computer work requires such concentration, many people tend to hold their breath or not breath as deeply as mother nature intended.
Just by the act of stopping whatever we are doing, noticing the rhythm and depth of our breath, and then taking a few deep slow breaths we can reset our system and bring more vitality and oxygen into our bodies.
This actually effects our brain in a very direct way, making us more clear-headed and able to remember, reason, and problem solve better.
Try it!
I think everyone has experienced this to some degree or another - its that feeling of a slow gravitational sink, pulling and falling head first into the computer monitor.
And before you know it, the shoulders are hunched over, head leaning forward and back arched - a hunchback in the making.
Millions of people experience the negative side-effects of DIM Syndrome.
Everything from sore neck to headaches to the ever-popular lower back pain can be traced to bad posture and unhealthy sitting habits at the computer.
Lets face it, the human body was not designed to sit for hours at a time in one spot and stare forward motionless.
But, since we all must work, and most of us must work at a computer, there are several habits that we can break free of and others that we may wish to adopt in order to keep our health and our sanity.
Sit straight: The spine has a natural curvature which is maintained by automatic muscles and tendons along the spine.
These muscles are linked to the same system that keeps our eyelids up and our lungs moving without our conscious awareness.
Through bad habits we have programmed our bodies to tense additional smaller muscles to take on the work of the automatic ones.
This is exhausting and causes unnecessary strain and tension in the body.
By paying attention and experimenting with slight adjustments in the hips, shoulders, and head we can bring our body into a more natural alignment thereby activating the automatic muscles and relieving the overworked ones.
While sitting in a chair, locate the sit bones.
They are the two bony ridges of the hip bone that are meant to take our weight.
To do so, simply experiment with tilting the pelvis forwards and back.
Notice how this effects the curvature of the spine, and specifically the lower back.
A proper alignment of the hips happens when the tailbone (the lowest part of the vertebral column) reaches down towards the ground/chair while the pubic/lower abdominal area moves up and inward.
This action will naturally reduce some of the curvature of the lower back creating a flatter lower back and cause a slight shift backwards so that the weight of the body is distributed onto the sit bones.
This adjustment also strengthens the abdominal muscles which assist the back muscles in keeping the spine erect.
Shoulders: Having adjusted the lower portion of the body, next come the shoulders/chest.
Explore the range of motion in the shoulders moving them forward and back.
Notice how the forward motion of the shoulders pulls on the muscles of the upper back and tenses the neck.
Imagine somebody taking both shoulders and lifting them forward, up, and back.
Let both shoulders melt down the back.
Repeat several times, inhaling forward pausing at the top, and exhaling to melt.
Do this often throughout the day and you may see a dramatic reduction in stress and tension in the neck and upper back.
Another way to think about this motion is to lift the chest.
Head: Moving onto the head, let the head become heavy and begin to move the head side to side, the up and down, and finally in big circles.
Notice how good this feels on the neck muscles.
Again here, work with the breath and breath into the area of tension, one can work with images of warmth or relaxation if that feels appropriate.
A neutral spine means the head is shifted slightly back and the chin slightly down.
One can also imagine a string tied to the top of the head and somebody lifting us by that string.
This will cause the spine to elongate and straighten, the shoulders to move back, and the head to shift back.
Breath: While our breathing is automatic, it is also intimately linked to our emotional and mental state.
In moments of intense emotions such as anger or sadness, this becomes self evident.
Because computer work requires such concentration, many people tend to hold their breath or not breath as deeply as mother nature intended.
Just by the act of stopping whatever we are doing, noticing the rhythm and depth of our breath, and then taking a few deep slow breaths we can reset our system and bring more vitality and oxygen into our bodies.
This actually effects our brain in a very direct way, making us more clear-headed and able to remember, reason, and problem solve better.
Try it!
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