3 Ways To Feel Better When You’re stuck At A Computer All Day Long

I’m a yoga therapist & I’m stuck at a computer a LOT! It’s not what I expected when I chose this career path. I imagined that I’d be working with clients most of the day & at the computer every once in awhile. The truth is I’m at a computer at least half of my work day and not moving around nearly as much as I’d like. That means I need ways to counter all of this computer work in some way.

So what do I do when I’ve been stuck at a computer?

I’ve been moving my body as part of my job for almost 15 years now. That means I really notice when I’ve been sedentary more than normal. After so much time in the yoga world, I know a lot of ways to counter this. Here are a few of my favorites!

1 – Wrist Stretches

When you’re typing at a computer, you’ll hold your wrist at odd angles for long periods of time. It’s hard on your wrists & leads way too many people to have carpal tunnel syndrome. While stretching your wrists may not completely prevent carpal tunnel, they can & will help your wrists to feel better.

I find myself stretching my wrists frequently. I’ve learned several good ways to stretch the wrists over the years. These stretches are super easy to do. I don’t need any special equipment & I can do them anytime that I want.

Not sure how to stretch your wrists? Check out this video. I show you a couple of easy to do stretches that you can do right at your desk when you’ve been stuck at the computer and need a quick break.

2 – Full Body Stretch

You know that stretch that you do when you first wake up? Yeah that one where you reach your arms overhead & stretch your entire body all at once. That feels great in the middle of the day too when you’ve been stuck at a computer for too long!

It doesn’t take a lot of time. It can be done right in your office &again it’s easy to do.

You’ll wake up so many of your muscles that have been tense while you typed away at your computer. Blood & oxygen will move through your body & you’ll just feel better.

So, don’t wait. After you finish reading this, step away from your computer. Put your phone down. Close your tablet. Then stand up, reach your arms overhead & take in a deep breath. Stretch as many parts of your body as you can.

Don’t stop there!

While your arms are overhead, bend over to the right & then to the left. Take a moment to open up the side of your body & take a few deep breaths. You can finish this off by placing your hands in your lower back bending backward just a bit. Arching your back after the forward focus of working at your computer will feel really good.

Before you sit back down, close your eyes & pause for a moment. Notice your body. Notice your breath.

Do this several times a day & your body will feel so much better at the end of your work day!

3 – Step outside

When you’ve been stuck at a computer all day long, it can be very draining.

One of my favorite ways to counter this, is to step outside. Get away from the computer. Look at nature. Take some deep breaths. Simply BE for a few minutes.

It’s super easy to do, yet I resist it because when I sit at a computer I get drawn into the mindset of I’ll do ‘just one more thing’. I want to be productive & get that to do list done. Sometimes though, I just need a break. If I refuse that break, then I actually start to become less productive. Simply by stepping outside for a few minutes & breathing in the fresh air, I refresh myself. That means that I’m actually more productive when I go back to work than if I had simply pushed through my work day.

I know if sounds counter productive, but stepping outside for a short break helps me to get more done in the long run. I can focus better & my body feels better. That’s a win-win!

It doesn’t have to be so bad when you’re stuck at a computer!

Being stuck at your computer all day long doesn’t mean that you have to suffer through your day. You can make a few adjustments to help you get through your day with more ease & be more productive as a result.

If you need more suggestions for simple stretches that you can do at your desk or in your office when you’ve been stuck at your computer, then let’s chat. Set up a free call to find out how to work with me and how to create a custom routine that’s designed around your needs.

Becky is a Yoga Therapist & has been teaching yoga since 2006. She loves to match people with a yoga practice that helps them to feel better every day & believes that there is a yoga practice for everyone. Click here to sign up for her mailing list & get all of the important news & tips first!