When you’re in the middle of exams or you’re stuck at your desk all day, pain in your back and neck can develop and can be uncomfortable and distracting. Fortunately, though, there are ways to relieve these issues, and it all comes down to posture.

While it might be difficult to face the fact that the adults in your life were right in telling you to sit up straight your whole childhood, having good posture, especially while you’re sitting down, really does help you study and feel better overall.

Learn about the health benefits of good posture in this video!

Setting up your desk

How you organise your desk/study area is important, it will increase your health and productivity. 

Adjust your computer 

When you’re sitting up straight, the top of your computer screen should be at eye level, and slightly tilted upwards. This stops your neck from cramping into an uncomfortable position all day. If you can fork out for a stand (this is the best option because they’re generally adjustable), but a few books stacked under your laptop or iPad will also do the trick!

Keep your distance

For the sake of your eyesight, it’s good to have about half a metre between you and the screen. You should be able to look at the screen without leaning towards it, keeping your back straight.

Elbow position

Try to keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle and relaxed, without leaning on the desk. This will prevent you from slouching over and hunching your back.

Feet position 

Adjust your chair so that it’s at a height where you can put your feet flat on the ground. Crossing your legs for long periods of time can affect your hips and back in the long run, which will make sitting down difficult in the future, so try to avoid it!

Movement = good posture

An important part of posture is movement. Keeping your joints moving – so stretching and getting out of your desk chair regularly is very important for your body. In fact: staying still for long periods of time with good posture is worse for your body than moving regularly and sitting with bad posture! 

Posture is important everywhere, not just at your desk. For instance:

• When carrying heavy things, use a backpack with both straps on your shoulders
• Don’t wear your backpack slung low; keep it close to your back and make sure the weight is evenly distributed across both shoulders 
• At night, try and sleep on your side with your head elevated on a supportive pillow 

Now you know how to take care of your body everywhere you go!