Working From Home Is A Pain In The Neck, Literally

This has been my first full week of working from home. And just like you, I'm in front of my laptop a lot. In addition to my own stuff (Facebook, YouTube, etc), I am now doing a fair amount of my work, doing my on-air shows, making commercials, AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD A BAZILLION VIDEO CONFERENCE CALLS (no disrespect Zoom and Microsoft Teams but I hate you lol).

And then the other day it happened. I went to turn my head and there was as soreness. Right in the back of my neck. I went to massage it and bam! Sharp shooting pain.

Working from home helps us flatten the curve and the fight against Covid-19. If you're not careful, your prolonged use of your computer, your screen placement, and your head and neck positioning could cause you some real pain. And this is true for you (us...I'm included) gamers as well. And people staring at their phones for long periods of time.

The average human head weighs almost 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) — the equivalent of a bowling ball! When your neck is bent to 45 degrees, your head exerts nearly 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of force on your neck. In addition to straining joints and muscles in your neck and shoulders, the pressure affects your breathing and mood. (Mayo Clinic)

Some quick and easy tips?

• Raise or lower the monitor or your chair so your eyes are level with the top of the screen. If you wear bifocals, you may need to lower the monitor another 1 to 2 inches.

• Raise or lower your chair so that you're not sitting straight up at a 90-degree angle, but rather with a slightly reclined posture of 100 to 110 degrees.

• Set a timer and get up every 30 minutes. (Mayo Clinic)

I found some videos that will help you to take a look at your workspace, maybe raise the position of your monitor, some neck exercises, and more. Stay home, stay safe, and take care of yourself.