Advice

Give your body a break by moving around every twenty minutes during work hours. Pause to do stretches or get up and walk around. Also move when you’re not working. Try to avoid falling into the same positions and posture as you adopt at work when you’re not working – don’t hunch over screens during your leisure hours!

Check the position of your laptop or computer screen. Your eyes should focus on the screen at a point 15 degrees below the horizontal – in other words, you should be looking very slightly downwards. The computer should be positioned directly in front of you. Angling it even slightly can cause strain on one side of the neck. The distance should be at least an arm’s length away – so you can see the entire screen easily and don’t have to twist or move your head around.

Beware of not thrusting your head or chin forward when you do desktop work. This can cause muscle strain and pain. Imagine you are suspended from a balloon, with the string attached to the crown of your head. Your chin would naturally tuck in a little, and the curve in the back of your neck would straighten. That’s a good and comfortable posture – stop every now and then and consciously get into this position, until it becomes a habit.

If you need to use a telephone often or for long periods, don’t be tempted to hold your phone between your shoulder and ear. This causes intense strain on the muscles. Get a headset if you need to work while talking, or use a hands-free phone on speaker.