I don’t notice it happening.
That’s the problem.
Nothing dramatic occurs. No sharp pain. No moment where I think, ah yes, this is the exact second my posture finally gave up.
It’s more like this: my jaw is tight for no reason. My shoulders feel like they’re being slowly winched upwards. My eyes feel dry and tired in a way sleep doesn’t quite fix. And when I stand up, my body makes a small, slightly offended complaint.
This is not because I’m fragile.
It’s because modern desks are very good at encouraging stillness, and the human body is not built for it.
So this is not a productivity article. It’s a small, practical guide to undoing some of the quiet damage.
No equipment. No costume change. Just tiny resets you can do between emails.
The lie we tell ourselves
We think tension comes from effort.
It mostly comes from holding.
Holding your head forward. Holding your shoulders slightly raised. Holding your breath while you read something annoying. Holding your eyes open without blinking properly.
None of this feels dramatic. It just accumulates.
By the end of the day, your nervous system and your muscles are both a bit fed up.
First: fix your eyes (they’re doing more work than you think)
If your eyes are tired, your whole system feels tired.
A simple rule that actually helps is the 20-20-20 rule:
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
That’s it.
When you do, let your eyes go soft. Don’t stare. Let them rest.
You can also do this once or twice a day:
Close your eyes.
Cover them lightly with your palms.
Let everything go dark and still for 30 to 60 seconds.
Your nervous system likes this more than you’d expect.
Second: unhook your shoulders from your ears
This is my most common problem.
Try this:
Lift your shoulders up towards your ears.
Hold for 3 seconds.
Let them drop.
Do that 3 times.
Then roll your shoulders slowly backwards a few times.
That’s not a stretch. It’s a reset.
If you want to add one more:
Place one hand on the opposite shoulder.
Gently squeeze and breathe slowly for 4 or 5 breaths.
Switch sides.
It’s a small signal of safety to a very overworked area.
Third: your neck needs movement, not punishment
You don’t need to wrench it around.
Try:
Turn your head slowly to the right.
Pause.
Back to centre.
Slowly to the left.
Pause.
Back to centre.
Then gently tip your ear towards your shoulder. One side, then the other.
Slow is the whole point.
If it feels like it needs more, you’ve probably been still too long, not stretched too little.
Fourth: your jaw is probably clenched
Most of us don’t notice this until we check.
Let your tongue rest on the floor of your mouth.
Let your teeth separate slightly.
Do a soft sigh out of your mouth.
You can also gently massage just in front of your ears in small circles. That’s where the jaw muscles hide their resentment.
Fifth: stand up like a human being
Every 45 to 60 minutes, stand up.
Not to scroll. Not to do something useful. Just to remind your body it has legs.
Even 30 seconds helps.
Walk to the window. Stretch your arms. Shake your hands out. Come back.
Your nervous system counts this as a reset.
This is not about discipline
It’s about not letting one position become your whole day.
Your body isn’t asking for a gym session. It’s asking for variation.
Small movements. Small interruptions. Small reminders that you’re not a statue.
A quiet truth
A lot of what we call “stress” is just a body that’s been held still for too long.
If you give it a few moments of movement and release during the day, it often behaves much better in the evening.
No drama. No gadgets.
Just less quiet damage.