Neck complaints arise from the smallest discomforts. Think of reflections on your screen. So read our 10 tips. There's bound to be a tip among them that will help you.
1. Type blind.
If you type a lot, it's important to be able to do it blind. This prevents you from constantly having to look at the keys. The movement causes irritation in the neck muscles, which manifests as stiffness and neck pain (also known as RSI). As a result, you can no longer move freely and you start to compensate more with your body, which can cause other complaints.
- Type blind
- Keep your neck straight
- Take a typing course
2. Don't stay in the same position for too long.
Staying in the same position for too long makes the muscles in your neck stiff. There's no such thing as a perfect static posture. Try to keep your neck and shoulders moving in a healthy way. Do stretching exercises or take a short walk to a colleague. Try to get into a routine with this, and it will be easier to maintain and prevent a stiff neck.
- Keep moving
- Do stretching exercises
- Take mini-breaks
3. Ensure a well-lit workspace.
Poor lighting causes tired eyes and forces you to lean forward to read documents and the like. This can put extra strain and cause a painful neck. Maintaining an incorrect posture for a long time can even lead to a slipped disc in the neck. A well-lit workspace not only prevents neck pain but also ensures you are sick less often, have a better mood, and can be more productive. Most benefits are achieved in a workspace with a minimum light intensity of 800 lux.
- Minimum light intensity 800 lux
- Use a desk lamp
4. Place your monitor at the correct height.
With a low-placed monitor, you will bend your head too far forward to read everything. You will automatically compensate with your body. A lot of tension will be placed on the neck muscles, which can lead to neck pain. Ensure the monitor is at a good height. A good height is when your eyes are level with the top edge of the monitor. If you can type blind, it can even be a bit higher.
- Raise the monitor
- Top edge at eye level
5. Avoid reflective (sun)light on the monitor.
Reflective light on the monitor constantly forces you to adjust your neck posture to read everything. You will tilt your head left, right, forward, and backward to avoid the reflection. This involves considerable muscle tension, leading to neck pain. A well-lit workspace is important, but beware of overexposure from, for example, bright fluorescent lights or the sun.
- Block direct light
- Position monitor smartly
6. Ensure you are well-rested.
Tired eyes cause blurred vision, making you inclined to move your torso and neck towards the screen. You pull yourself out of a healthy posture and put unhealthy strain on your back and neck muscles. The result: a painful neck. Ensure there is sufficient light in and around the workspace. You can also improve the readability of websites and documents. Some websites offer the option to set a larger font size.
- Sleep at least 8 hours
- Ensure sufficient light
- Improve readability
7. Increase the readability of your documents.
Reading documents from your desk while working on the computer forces you to repeatedly tilt your neck unhealthily forward and sideways. This can lead to neck pain. Ensure documents are as much in front of you as possible. A stack of books could already work, on which you place the documents at an angle. The best solution is a document holder. The documents are higher and at a comfortable viewing angle.
- Centre your documents
- Place them higher
- Improve the viewing angle
8. Use a headset for phone calls.
Often, while on the phone, we are busy with many other things. This requires free hands. What do we then do with the phone? We cramp it between our ear and shoulder. Your neck is much less happy about this. You put enormous strain on it, which can eventually result in serious neck complaints. With a headset, you have your hands free and can maintain a healthy posture.
- Use a headset
- Hold your phone in your hand
- Put your phone on speaker
9. Keep your phone at eye level and prevent 'text-neck'.
For every centimetre you bend your head forward, an extra 2 kilograms of pressure is placed on your neck. So, if you regularly look at the keyboard, read documents, or take notes, enormous pressure is placed on the neck, and nerves are pinched. In addition to neck pain, this can eventually lead to headaches. Therefore, keep your phone at eye level.
- Phone at eye level
- Keep your head straight
10. Take a mini-break every 30-40 minutes.
Sitting in a cramped, static position for a long time is very bad for the body. It needs movement. Maintaining the same posture for an extended period eventually causes problems, such as a stiff neck. Therefore, try to take a short break regularly. This can be in the form of a short walk, but even looking away from your monitor for a moment helps.
- Regularly switch tasks
- Take a short walk
- Stand up occasionally