How to sit at a computer for eight hours without pain

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  • You can hire an ergonomic expert.
  • You can buy a £500 chair, a £200 ergonomic keyboard, a drawer-ful of mice.
  • You can arrange your desk, chair, computer, keyboard, mouse, foot-rest, arm-rest, wrist-rest, head-rest, whatever-you-like-rest

… and STILL be in pain.

OR you can do it the easier way

Discover how to sit well, easily and without strain.

You can do it the easiest way

Choose the above ‘easier way’ and do semi-supine as well.

Semi-Supine

“What’s this about semi-supine?”

If you’ve been reading my articles on semi-supine
you will know that lying down often is a very good idea.
(On the floor, with your knees up and a few books under your head)

You will also know:–

  1. How to do it
  2. When to do it — and for how long
  3. Why to do it

What more is there to say?
This: “Get on with it then!”    smiley

“But I CAN’T lie down at work”

Yes, I understand that — and that’s the purpose of this weekly article.

Why you can’t lie down:–

  • The boss will think you’re wasting time
  • You’re not allowed to take breaks
  • People will worry
  • Colleagues will think you’re slacking
  • There’s no room available where you can do it
  • Doing so will break health and safety regulations
  • People will trip over you
  • It’s embarrassing

Let’s see how we can deal with these problems:–

“The boss will think I’m wasting time”

I realise that you probably can’t educate your boss single-handed.

I’m here to help. Next week’s weekly article will be addressed to office managers. You can then show it to your boss.

You can also write in and ask for my help. I’m sure I can come up with some ideas that answer you boss’s objections. I’d also be happy to talk to him/her personally. Just let me know and we’ll arrange it.

“We’re not allowed to take breaks”

My understanding is that in the UK, by law, you are entitled to 15 minutes’ break in the morning and 15 minutes’ break in the afternoon.

Take them. That’s already a start.

The next step will be to educate your boss into letting you take the 15 minutes in seven 2-minute chunks.

Two minutes is enough time to:–

  1. Go and lie down
  2. Stay there for 60 seconds
  3. Get back to your desk.

Not enough time to go and get back?
Then cut the 60 seconds down to 30.

“People will worry”

No doubt they will at first. They will soon get used to it.

If you feel up to it, lying down will also be a great opportunity to educate your colleagues about taking care of themselves too.
(The best way to learn — and teach — is by example).

“Colleagues will think I’m slacking”

True, some probably will.

As they begin to see the benefits, who knows, you might even start a new trend in your office!

Even if they don’t join you, they’ll soon get used to you doing it and stop bothering you.

Telling them about SmilingBackMethod.com will help too.

“There’s no room available where I can do it”

There are two ways you can deal with this one:–

  1. Take a tour of your office looking out for places where you just might be able to do it. Under tables, or on top of tables, are two possibilities. A rarely-used bit of corridor is another.
    You might want to invest in a light roll-up mat to lie on.
  2. The second way to deal with this problem is by educating your boss to the need to provide somewhere workable.
    My next weekly article will help with this.
    Make sure you give a copy to your boss.

“Doing so will break health and safety regulations”

Not allowing you to look after yourself is a far more telling breach of health and safety regulations.

Time for a little boss-education. Enlist my help.

“People will trip over me”

Where there’s a will there’s a way. If the above solutions didn’t solve your problem, tell me your particular problem and I’ll help.

“It’s embarrassing”

Do you want to work more comfortably AND impress your boss with your improved work?

Would you like to be even more pleasant to work with than you already are?

Then, don’t let being embarrassed stop you.
Get over it!    smiley

So, now you can look forward to:–

  1. looking after yourself
  2. working with increasingly less and less pain
  3. impressing your boss

Just start lying down often.
The articles are here. Better still, get the free e-book about Semi-supine and lying down at work: “The Hows & Whys of Semi-Supine“

“When should I do it?”

If you know what to do, do it now.
If you don’t, send me an email.

Right now.

And when you’ve done, sell your £200 keyboard
… and throw away that whatever-you-like-rest.

This article is included under the following categories:‒

Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley

If you want to get the best kind of help, come to me for an introductory lesson in Liverpool.

If you’re too far away, then the next best thing is to get personal lessons and advice from me online at Repoise.com, my on-line school. (Both far-away and local pupils use Repoise).

In more detail:–

If you’re in Liverpool (or can get to Liverpool)

  1. There’s nothing better than individual lessons. My practice is at 37 Hope Street, Liverpool L1. Ring me on 0151 708 6172 to book an initial consultation and first lesson. (Leave your number so I can get back to you).
  2. If you’re short of funds, you can still have first class training from me — though it will require a little more work on your part.

    The thing to do is have an individual, in-person lesson just once a month. That will entitle you to also get regular on-line lessons from me through Repoise. That way, you have the best of both worlds: in-person lessons and very regular, even daily, on-line Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley from me. That’s a real bargain because Repoise costs the equivalent of three lessons a year to everyone else.

    Ring me on 0151 708 6172 if you want to arrange this.

  3. I occasionally run group lessons. If you’re interested in these, go here for details.

If you’re further away and can’t get to Liverpool

  1. There’s still nothing better than individual lessons. Here’s where you can find a teacher near you in the UK or elsewhere
  2. I suggest you also get direct day-to-day guidance from me by joining Repoise.

    If you’re having plain Alexander Technique lessons from someone else, you still need to discover the Smiling Back Method of the Alexander Technique. You’ll get a lot more out of your lessons when you do.



“Back in Action”
Guiding your way to a pain-free back.
  1. Here are over 100 uniquely helpful articles
  2. Get the newest article every Wednesday by subscribing to “Back in Action” Subscribe to “Back in Action”
  3. You also get
    “The Hows & Whys of Semi-Supine”

    This 23-page booklet is indispensable to anyone serious about getting a stronger pain-free back — and it’s free

Book image. “The Hows & Whys of Semi-Supine” by Philip Pawley. Including: The little-understood real reason why Semi-Supine is so important - Detailed instructions on how and when to lie down - Persuade your boss to beg you to take rests at work.
Medical Proof

Medical Study proves lasting effectiveness of the Alexander Technique for low back pain.

British Medical Journal video on the Alexander Technique

Published in the prestigious British Medical Journal on 19 August 2008, this randomised controlled medical trial compares Alexander Technique lessons, exercise and massage for chronic and recurrent back pain.

Clients’ Stories
Jean kept falling over after a hip replacement
Lady with a Hip Replacement

“My teacher is Philip Pawley and I can thoroughly recommend him: he’s patient, kind and knows what he’s doing. He’s given me a new life.”

Rob is a yoga teacher
Yoga Teacher

“My interest in the Technique came from my interest in yoga. At the time when I heard about it, I thought that this would be a useful thing for me to learn — just a development of what I understood yoga to be.”

Margery was disabled by osteoporosis
Lady with Osteoporosis

“Since starting with the Alexander Technique, it has boosted my confidence tremendously. It does so much more besides just helping you with the osteoporosis.”

Caroline is an opera singer
Opera Singer

“I have got enormous benefit out of a series of thirty-minute sessions with Philip Pawley. My whole stance has improved and I’m singing better.”

Watch the full video

The above are short excerpts from a 7-minute video. See the whole video on YouTube
Read the transcript

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