A large aspect of divorce is filling in court forms and writing different types of statements. This can be distressing and can take many hours, no doubt forcing you to stay sitting for hours on end. When this is combined with the emotional stress of divorce, your back can take the brunt of the stress you’re under and start causing you trouble. It’s very important during this time to look after your back.
Even in everyday life, our backs can take the brunt of most of the work and daily activities we get up to. So no matter what you get up to or what you’re going through, this article is definitely going to help you out.
Read our tips below to help keep your back healthy and feeling better than ever.
1. Avoid crossing your legs as you sit to write your statement.
Sitting in this position for prolonged lengths of time can cause your posture to become bent, leaving you to deal with lower back pain. Doing this often can promote poor posture and, therefore, constant back pain.
2. Sit all the way back into your chair.
Make sure your bottom is against the back of your chair as you move your whole body back. This way the back of the chair will support your spine.
3. Use a cushion to support your back.
Doing this will help keep the natural curve of the spine. This way, less stress is placed on the spine. If you don’t have a cushion, roll a towel and make a lumbar support. Place it in the small of your back.
4. Use a seat wedge
This will tip your pelvis forward and restore the lumbar curve in your lower back. They can be used on whichever chair you sit on, creating a downward slope that reduces pain and improves posture.
5. Slide your chair under your desk or closer to your work
This is so that you are sitting directly over your work, stopping you slouching. It’s important to keep the back straight with your ears, shoulders, and hips aligned rather than slouched. This will ensure your back is better supported.
6. Place your weight evenly on both your hips as you are sitting
Placing your weight on one side for long periods of time can cause stress to that side of your back, causing lower back pain. Your muscles will become strained due to the extra work. Try to keep your body seated in the natural position of your spine (basically sitting with your back straight) rather than leaning on one side.
7. Use table stands/easels to hold any reading or reference material vertically rather than leaning over it
Keeping your work directly in front of you eases your back from having to work harder as your head is not craned downwards for hours on end.
This also works for laptops as well. Even just simply putting your laptop on a solid stack of books will positively impact your neck and back whilst you’re working.
8. Avoid letting your head and chin bend downwards
Letting your chin and head be bent downwards for hours at a time can put immense stress on your neck. This is extremely common, especially when we use our phones as we tend to look directly down to them in our hands.
9. Keep your shoulders relaxed - Avoid hunching them
Keeping your shoulders hunched for a prolonged amount of time causes stress on your neck and your shoulders themselves. This can lead to prolonged discomfort and pain in both your spine and upper back. To relieve this stress, let your shoulders go and keep them relaxed whenever you work.
10. Keep your computer screen at eye level
Follow tip 7 for good ways to keep your work at eye level without hurting your neck or your back.
This will relieve the amount of stress your neck is under when working, keeping your back healthy and happy.
11. Every 30 minutes, get up, move around, stretch a little then sit down and continue to write
It’s important to keep your body moving when you know you’re going to be sitting for hours on end doing work. This will prevent pain developing in your upper back and neck.
Follow these tips and feel the difference in your back almost instantly. Taking care of your back can bring instant relief to your life at a time when you need it most, so keep taking care of your body!
Share some of your tips for keep your back healthy on our forum and social media! Help each other out and have a chat.
