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Discussion on: How do you keep good posture while sitting?

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JaredHarbison

This is a great prompt!

I have found that even with a great desk, chair, pillow, or belt I can still slouch. The key, for me, is simply my own awareness of my posture. I am also trying to eliminate as much of a carbon/ wasteful capitalism footprint as I possibly can.

Correcting my posture for myself is as simple as squeezing what few abs I have. It causes me to...

  • straighten my lower back
  • pull my chest forward
  • drop my shoulders back.

Keeping my wrists lifted off the top of the laptop helps as lot as well. It pushes my shoulders back, and prompts me to push my chest forward and pull my abdomen up.

Practicing yoga with my desk posture in mind helped me learn the commands I give myself and what good posture feels like. Call it a Ruby method -> correct_posture(action, body part, direction).

Naturally what follows is... how do I ensure I actually do this? I've found that one type of reminder only works for a random amount of time, but I've used several techniques to remind myself including...

  • a note on the wall above the monitor
  • a couple sticky cabinet-door stops on the laptop where my wrists land
  • keeping a small window open of myself in the camera to view my posture
  • random reminders from my calendar
  • accountability partners in the office "sit up straight you lazy bum!"

Ciao!