Whether you spend your work time on your feet, in a chair, or traveling, long hours spent in a similar posture can create tension in your body. That tension can lead to pain if left unchecked. Common areas of tension include lower back, shoulders, neck, and eyes.
When I worked as a certified public accountant, I used to develop what I called “busy season neck.” This meant that I logged so many desk hours between January and April that I lost the ability to move my head side to side. Can you imagine being so tense that I could not turn my head?
Even though discovering yoga helped immensely with combating a sedentary lifestyle, I still have to make a conscious effort to take care of my body when I spend a significant chunk of my day at a desk as an entrepreneur in the non-profit sector.
Here are 5 ways to ease tension after work so you can keep showing up as your healthiest entrepreneur self:
Establish an end of work routine. Set aside time at the end of your workday to respond to things that are time-sensitive and make a to-do list of tomorrow’s priorities. This can ease your mental load and create space to reduce physical tension. Add on any other activities that signal the end of work and the start of the rest of your day . . . close your computer, tidy your workspace, turn out the light, etc.
Perform a body scan. Close your eyes. Slowly lengthen and deepen your breath. Draw your attention to the crown of your head and slowly scan downward. Where is the tension residing?
Stretch. You do not have to be a professional yogi to stretch! Standing wide-legged forward fold and ragdoll are great options to release tension in your lower back, shoulders, and neck. Standing wide-legged forward fold with the shoulder stretch is especially nice when you’ve been on your feet or traveling a lot. After a lot of desk work, swaying side to side in ragdoll with arms crossed feels fantastic. Clasp your hands behind your head with your pinky fingers at the base of your skull and let the weight of your hands create traction for the neck.
Take a walk. Being out in nature is soothing. If you have been doing a lot of reading or computer work, it’s a nice break for your eyes to focus on something in the distance.
Lie down. For a subtle stretch in the back of your neck, lie in bed with your head slightly elevated on a thin pillow or folded up towel. Gently tuck your chin to your chest and lengthen through the back of your neck. I like to use this time to catch up on Marco Polo video messages because it forces me to release the weight of my head from my neck and shoulders for 15 or 20 minutes. If your feet and legs are fatigued, legs up the wall is a nice option to relieve tension from your feet and legs.
When your workday is done, it’s really tempting to jump into whatever’s next in your day. But if you take a few minutes of transition time to release tension from your body, you’ll be better able to focus on your work on subsequent days, and you’ll be more present for the people and activities that fill the rest of your day.
Which tension reliever are you most excited to try?
Kimberly Bacso is an MBA who exchanged an office with a view for a life of adventure when she became a military spouse in 2001. She is the co-founder and operations director of InDependent, a non-profit on a mission to make wellness accessible to all military spouses. She is the managing editor of Legacy Magazine, a print publication celebrating service member families and the communities that support them. Kimberly is an experienced registered yoga teacher and a lifelong vegetarian who can often be found traveling off the beaten path with her husband and teenage daughter.
