After sitting at the desk for eight hours a day, my cervical vertebrae felt as if they were rusty, my back was as stiff as a board, and my eyes were so dry that I wanted to cry.
This is probably the daily portrayal of many office workers.
Facing a lot of pressure at work, and the time is very tight, setting aside time to do exercise and physical therapy is a luxury for many people.
But health is something I really can’t afford to delay.
In fact, improvement does not have to consume a lot of energy. As long as you make good use of the fragmented time between work every day and continue to perform a few simple small actions, you can effectively reduce fatigue and "restore vitality" to the body again.
The five methods shared today have been personally tested and are effective. They do not take up space, do not require the use of equipment, and can be achieved next to the workstation. The total daily total only takes ten minutes, but it can be exchanged for a whole day of relaxation.
1. Give your eyes a soothing SPA
Staring at the computer screen for a long time puts the ciliary muscles of the eyes in a constant state of tension, which is the main culprit of visual fatigue and dry eye syndrome.
Relying on eye drops alone will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Active relaxation is the key.
My method is the "20-20-20" rule, which means that every time you work for 20 minutes, you should raise your head and look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for at least 20 seconds.
This forces the eye muscles to tone, breaking the deadlock of constant tension.
On this basis, it can be combined with simple acupoint massage.
Use the pads of the index fingers of both hands to gently press the Jingming point, which is the depression slightly upward from the inner corner of the eye. Then gently press the Cuanzhu point, which is the depression on the inside of the brow, and then gently press the temple. For each acupoint, press it for 5 to 10 seconds, and use the slight feeling of soreness as the appropriate standard.
Finally, close your eyes, gently cover your eyelids with your palms, and feel the warmth in your palms for 30 seconds.
After doing this, the soreness in the eyes will be significantly reduced, and things will become clearer.
2. Save stiff cervical vertebrae
Looking down at the computer or mobile phone puts tremendous pressure on our cervical spine.
As time goes by, Cervical spine physiological curvature straightens , Muscle strain comes to your doorstep.
When doing cervical spine exercises, be careful not to shake your head violently or rotate it quickly, as this can easily cause injury.
The correct approach is to move slowly and in a controlled manner.
First, sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed.
Slowly lower your head forward, bringing your chin as close to your chest as possible, and feel the stretching sensation on the back of your neck. Maintain this for 5 seconds; then slowly raise your head back to the upright position.
Then, slowly bend your head towards the left shoulder to feel the stretch of the right neck muscles. Hold for 5 seconds and then return to the original position, and then switch to the right side.
Finally, you can try to slowly do the "meter" character exercise on your head, that is, take your chin and slowly write the character "meter" in the air.
The whole process must be done slowly so as not to cause pain.
Doing two to three groups every day can effectively improve blood circulation in the neck and relieve stiffness.
3. Relax tight lower back
Sitting for long periods of time is the “number one killer” of the lower back.
If our psoas major and erector spinae muscles are in a shortened or static state of tension for a long time without stretching, they will naturally feel sore.
A very effective action is " cat stretch ".
Stand up straight or sit at the front of a chair, with your hands on your waist.
While taking a deep breath, slowly arch the spine forward and upward, simulating the posture of a cat. At the same time, tighten the abdomen to truly feel the stretch of the entire back, and maintain it for 3 to 5 seconds. When exhaling, slowly sink the spine downward again, and push the chest forward to feel the stretching feeling in the abdomen and waist.
Repeat 5-8 times.
This action can move the entire spine well and relax the deep muscles.
Another simple move is the seated side bend.
Sit upright, hold the chair with your right hand, and stretch your left hand straight upward. Then slowly bend your body to the right to feel the stretch in the left waist. Hold it for 15 to 20 seconds and then switch to the other side.
This action can effectively relieve the side and waist tension caused by sitting for a long time.
4. Use breathing to “reset” the body and mind
When you are busy at work, you will easily become irritable and your breathing will become shallower and faster unconsciously.
Consciously taking deep breaths is the cheapest and fastest way to relax.
It has the ability to activate parasympathetic nerves, which can slow down the heartbeat and lower blood pressure, thereby calming down the tense state of "fight or flight".
You can do this: When you find a moment of silence, sit in a comfortable position with your back slightly leaning against the back of the chair.
First close your eyes, then inhale deeply through your nose, and inhale slowly. At the same time, count 4 times silently in your mind to feel the breath filling the abdomen and chest; then hold your breath and continue counting silently for 4 seconds; then slowly exhale completely through the mouth, counting silently for 6 to 8 seconds when exhaling, as if every stress and all fatigue are discharged with the exhaled airflow.
Repeat 5-10 times.
You will find that just a few minutes of deep breathing can calm your messy thoughts and make your mind clear.
5. Get up regularly to promote circulation
This is the simplest, yet most easily overlooked point.
In a state of being stationary for a long time, the return of venous blood in the lower limbs becomes difficult, which will not only cause numbness in the legs and swollen feet, but if this continues, it is very likely to increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs.
Set an alarm and force yourself to stand up every 45 minutes to an hour.
It’s not just to get water or to go to the toilet. It’s actually to take the initiative to move around. It’s not that simple.
You can go to the window and gaze into the distance for one minute, or take a slow walk in the office corridor for two minutes.
If conditions are really limited, then do a few steps near the work station and raise the knees as high as possible; or do a few tiptoe movements, repeated 15 to 20 times. This can effectively stimulate the muscle pumps in the lower legs and promote blood return.
Don't underestimate this one or two minutes of walking, it can interrupt the continuous damage caused by sitting for a long time and give the body a valuable buffer.
These five methods are like daily maintenance and upkeep for this delicate instrument of the body. It does not require major repairs, but it is important to persist and do it in a timely manner.
Health is never about waiting for something to go wrong and then fixing it, but about integrating it into your daily routine.
Starting today, you might as well regard these actions as "compulsory courses" during work breaks, and take ten minutes a day to take care of your body.
You will find that the fatigue that is relieved is not only physical, but also followed by higher work efficiency and a calmer state of mind.
After all, taking care of ourselves is our most solid asset in facing all challenges.
