Working from home during a pandemic is not what anyone thought they were going to be doing for most of 2020. No one went into this last year thinking that they were going to take morning work calls in their pajamas everyday and be wrapping up their meeting notes from bed.

Let’s be real - most us of have done at least one zoom call without bothering to put on pants.  If we haven't put on pants, our ergonomic set up is likely also not making it on the to-do list today. 

As we get back into the office and out of our home caves, there might be a few of us with some extra muscle tension in our bodies from working long hours on the couch or from bed. 

We’ve put together a short list of things that might help alleviate some built up muscle tension that you can do every day from home:  

 

1. Pomodoro Breaks:

During your work day, set a timer to take breaks. The CDC warns that prolonged sitting time increases health risks and generally to keep the time sitting down shortened to 30minutes before standing up or moving around.

Pomodoro timers can increase productivity by allowing the brain to switch gears and take small breaks. The classic pomodoro timer is 25miutes working and a 5 minute break - just make sure that when your break timer is up, you get up and shake it out. Go outside for some added bonus sunshine.

 

2. At Home Deep tissue massage:

Massage is especially important around the neck and shoulder area when it comes to computer ergonomics. Especially without an external monitor, it’s easy to strain our necks and shoulders from looking down at a laptop.

To counter this, loosen the area with a percussive massager. These powerful tools have been advertised to athletes and are very effective at helping alleviate tension in all areas of the body.

Any percussive massager would work although after testing half a dozen, this one is the best for quality and price point. We have no affiliation with this company and we genuinely really like this massage gun. 

If you live alone or want total control of your massage, try the BackBadger® to be able to access your neck, shoulders, and back by yourself.

 

3. Heat Therapy:

After pummeling your muscles, take a bath or hot shower to help keep those muscles relaxed and happy. The heat will help with calming down both your muscles and relaxing your mind.

 

To care for ones body is to care for the longevity of physical happiness and wellbeing. Take the time to do something good for your body today.

Your future self will thank you.