How to Fix Your Bad Studying Posture
You’ve probably noticed your shoulders start to slump towards your laptop by the end of a long day of studying.
When you finally stand up, cue the tension in your neck, back, and shoulders. What if I told you this feeling could be reversed?
After receiving a neck injury in university, I’ve been curating a list of my favourite posture-improving tips that will have you feeling more energized and fluid in your neck, back, and shoulders.
Take A Look At How Ergonomic Your Studying Setup Is
Raise your hand if you study on your bed.
You must start sitting at a desk! Your bed very likely isn’t supportive enough for your sit bones, making your shoulders slump forwards. Sitting at a desk with a chair will help you sit up straight with the help of the tips below.
Drop Your Shoulders And Remember To Breathe
I participated in a fantastic seminar series on relaxation techniques as an undergrad. The most memorable moment was when the instructor asked us to pretend to type on a laptop on the table.
About 10 seconds in, the instructor asked, “who’s holding their breath?”. We all started laughing as we realized we had stopped breathing, and were tensing our shoulders up to our ears!
Try placing a small sticky note on your laptop to remind you to drop your shoulders and take frequent breaths. This will work wonders for loosening up any tension.
Imagine A String Pulling You Up
This is the one tip I use every single day. Whether you’re sitting or standing, imagine a string is running up through your spine, your neck, and out the top of your head, pulling you upwards.
You should notice this action causes your head, shoulders, and hips to stack on top of each other. This is how they want to be! Try setting reminders on your phone to practice this every day until it becomes second nature.
Go For Mini Walks To Keep Your Blood Flowing
One culprit of neck and shoulder pain can be a lack of blood flow, thanks to those long bouts of sitting. Be sure to get up for a walk - even just 1 minute around your bedroom - to keep your blood moving through your entire body.
Try Some Seated Back And Shoulder Exercises
Once you’re back from that walk, try these in-chair exercises to keep your postural muscles flexible, strong and supported.
- Sit upright and place your hands on your shoulders, elbows out to the side. Slowly roll your shoulders back and forth to wake them up.
- Stretch your arms out to either side, in line with your shoulders. Pull your elbows in towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat several times.
- Place your hands on your knees and inhale as you look toward the ceiling, expanding your chest and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Exhale as you look towards your chest, separating your shoulder blades away from each other.
- Repeat once or twice before getting back to studying
Struggling to balance life as a student? Check out this video about the 5 best apps to help you stay organized!
Related Blogs
Study with Us
The help you need to get the grades you want.
Previous Blog
Concordia Best Eats
Next Blog
How to Practice Mindfulness for Students
Other posts you might like:
Health & Wellness
Why Your Grades Don’t Define You
Your grades do not define you. It does not matter how long it takes you to complete your degree or i... Read More
M
Megan Polstra