COMPUTER POSTURE SYNDROME

Tense shoulders, neck craned forward, chest caved in, shallow breathing, eyes cast down and staring--this is how many people spend hours every day. Why? They're on their computers or phones of course! Often there is little choice in the matter since just about everything is now connected with an electronic device of some sort.

This posture has very real, adverse effects on our physical and emotional health. Think about it for a moment.......

What does the posture of someone who's depressed, anxious, or insecure look like?

It looks quite a lot like someone hunched over their phone or computer!

There is a lot of research demonstrating the connection between mood, physiology and posture. There are also recent studies linking frequent cell phone use with depression, fatigue, anxiety and sleep disturbance -- To put it briefly, holding certain bodily postures changes our body chemistry and emotional state. Ancient healing modalities, such as acupuncture have been aware of this fact for thousands of years.

Our ancestors would have spent a lot of time looking out over vast distances and gazing up at the sky, both out of necessity, in terms of assessing weather conditions and because it's just so enjoyable. I wonder what effect all the hours spent staring at screens just a few inches in front us is having? Is it making us short-sighted and unable to see anything unless it's right in front of our noses? Is it perhaps creating a corresponding mental or spiritual shortsightedness?

Photo courtesy of Bobby Stevenson - Unsplash

So what can we do? A few simple things can really help…….

SMILE AND STRETCH
Make a point of getting up at least every half hour or so to stretch, take a few deep breaths, and smile. Smiling is known to have positive physiological and emotional benefits, even if we don't have anything in particular to smile about--just the act of doing it seems to help. https://steemit.com/health/@eyeofthestorm/smile-your-way-to-better-health-take-the-smile-challenge
Raising your arms above your head, especially if you add a fist bump at the end is a universally recognized sign of victory and joy. Who doesn't want more of that feeling?

EYE NAPS AND SKY GAZING
Give your eyes a break by closing them for frequent mini-naps and spend a few minutes looking up and away from your computer/phone to gaze at something long distance, preferably up at the sky or a pleasant view of trees or gardens.

UNPLUG AND DISCONNECT
If you don't have to be on your computer/phone, don't be. Turn it off as much as possible and unplug your wifi, especially before going to bed at night. Electronic devices are addicting and are deliberately designed that way. Imagine all the things you would do if computers/phones didn't exist and then start doing them. Your life will be much more fulfilling.

Okay now, I'm going to unplug my wifi, turn off my computer, and watch some clouds pass by. How about you?