This post is featured on behalf of Stacey White.
When you were a kid, your parents probably told you to sit up straighter all the time. When you look back on the textbooks of history, you’ll see children sitting ramrod straight to do their schoolwork and look at the blackboard. We now live in a time where we spend most of our days sat in front of a computer, meaning that we get into the habit of slouching. It’s a bad habit, but one that we all find comfortable, making it a very difficult one to get out of!
The thing is, the way you sit at your desk, hunched over your computer could actually be really bad for your health, and not just because there’s the chance you’ll need to see a spine doctor to correct you.
Having bad posture affects your body in so many different ways, and we’ve put some of those together for you below:
- Mental Health. Our body language is reflective of our mental health, so if you are walking around slumped over with hunched shoulders, you’re going to look like you’re unhappy and that’s going to manifest in your mind. If you make a point of pulling in your stomach and throwing back your shoulders as you walk, you can look confident and open, which therefore makes you feel that way in public. Fake it ’til you make it!
- Career. Perception is important in the world of today and if you are at a desk at work and are sitting hunched over, people will not be able to perceive you as approachable. Avoiding slouching on the job is important to keep people viewing you as someone vital in the organization, and not someone expendable and unsure.
- Lethargy. Do you find yourself feeling tired, short on breath and generally feeling sick? Sitting a little straighter when you are sat at a table or on the sofa might help relieve some of the tension in your body. By curling over all the time, you are slowing your own air supply, scrunching up your digestive system, and generally not giving your body space to breathe easily.
Not many people are truly aware of the effects a bad posture can have on their attitude and their body, so when you do know, it’s important to correct it.
The long-term damage to your back and your muscles just isn’t worth the ten minutes of comfort. Practice these steps so you can learn to sit up straighter and help yourself feel better. Confidence is key, as is breathing, so remember that the next time you feel your shoulders hunch up around your ears!