Every now and again, it becomes neccessary to work on my posture.
It's not totally wretched… both Mom and Dad were sticklers for comportment so it's pretty ingrained in me to straighten up. It's not like dowager's hump is imminent or anything quite so dire… But when I get stressed, my shoulders tense and pull up toward my ears.
(C'mon, raise your hands. I know I'm not alone in this.)
This gives me bunchy neck muscles, which segue into headaches, plus it's plain ol' unattractive. But when things are hectic and stressful, relaxed trapezius muscles are the last thing on a person's mind. So a vicious circle of tightening, hurting, and tightening more ensues. (lather, rinse, repeat…)
These past couple of weeks, I've been practically battering my earlobes with my shoulders, I've been so frazzled and wound tight.
Time for renewed action!
I broke out my nice little cron script that reminds me to drop my shoulders…, but that only works when I'm smack in front of my computer.
I've pasted little sticky notes in various strategic points around my house.
I chant, "Down and Back" as often as I can remember to, trying to embed the mantra into my subconscious.
It all helps, but only for brief periods at a time.
I triumph in small battles but stress may yet win the war…
Then Date Night rolls around…
Oh, good! This should help me relax, right?
Let me ask you, oh fellow subs…
What do your shoulders do when he has The Grip of Death on your breasts?
*sigh*
I'm certainly not about to ask him to stop -- that would be both silly and counter-productive.
I enjoy all the other stuff that comes along with the pain, after all.
But it would be nice to figure out a way to respond that doesn't undo all my hard-fought efforts of the previous week...
Do you think he'd mind if I put a sticky note on his forehead?
8 comments:
Go for the sticky note on his forehead.
Just cuz I like to brat vicariously.
The rest of life...have you tried yoga? ;-p
I think there might be an effective way to tie your wrists or wrists and elbows down and back that would align your scapulae in such a was as to prevent their elevation and upward rotation. I bet if you asked him to get creative....
'Dowager hump'! Good un.
Is it so much your traps coming up, or your chin dropping toward your chest and your cervical discs rolling forward?
If the later...neck traction. Gentle, gentle, gentle. Given your dainty neck line... Did I say gentle.
A sticky note - if applied to my forehead - would further complicate your posture...! ;)
On a more serious note - maybe you know this stretch already - just in case you don't -
Sitting on a wood chair - feet on the floor, sitting up straight - to stretch your left side/neck - hook your fingers under the seat of the chair with your left hand, slowly and gently turn your face down and to the right - as if you are trying to look under your right armpit. Hold that a bit if it feels like it's getting the right part of the muscle. If not, or when you're ready to move to the next tight spot - just adjust your face up/down and head up/down a bit. If that is still not getting the stretch quite enough - lean away from your left arm while still grasping the seat to gently pull your left shoulder complex down.
I hope this helps - i know how utterly miserable and very frustrating that kind of tension can be. Oh - DO NOT ICE IT!
I think those times deserve a Pass" because I have no idea how to stop the reaction. But if you keep your posture the rest of the time you should be okay. Just a quick story, my daughter and I were out to dinner with a man and his young son. The son says to us "I can tell you two are related because you both slouch". The father was horrified. But my daughter and I were really shocked that we were doing the slouching. (Out of the mouth of babes). So now I have been working real hard trying hard not to slouch. Too bad the little boy didn't say he could tell we were related because we look alike. My daughter is absolutely beautiful and looks just like her father. Brown curly hair and me with my long straight blonde hair. Lol
B-
So I slap it on him and say, "This is from Bleu"?
That's what you're saying, right? ;-p
I do have this yoga/Pilates/dance thing I do -- but I'm not doing it now. Between my ankle (getting there but still swollen and not moving right,) the knee I damaged, and the thumb I hurt in the same fiasco that banged up my knee, I'm not really in any shape at the moment to tackle exercise that requires stability in any weight-bearing body part.
I plan to reintroduce it in a couple of weeks.
(Barring further calamity)
gg-
#1 - While that may be true, (I'm skeptical but you're the expert,) I can't think there's any way to tie them that will prevent my muscles from at least trying to take my shoulders through the roof - so the results would still be the same.
#2 - I never, EVER thought I'd hear you say, "No Ice"… wow. ;-p
Thanks, cutes. I do something similar but this has a couple of little tweaks I would be happy to add in.
D-
I have this nasty feeling that if I try to apply self-traction, I'll end up strangling myself. -- think I'll stick to stretches for now! ;-D
So you're saying No to the sticky note, huh? (*bat, bat, flutter, flutter*)
B-
That's cute. Leave it to a kid, huh?
Maybe you can get Ty to help by doing what my dad always did when he caught me slouching - come up behind you and just run a finger up your spine between the shoulder blades. You'll straighten up every time!
And btw, no grumbling about having long, straight blonde hair, or I'm gonna drive cross-country and bitch-slap you! (In a loving fashion, of course) ;-p
Yep. No. No sticky note unless you're just cruisin' for a bruisin'.
And considering your propensities, you do that quite well on your own! ;)
I'd love to say I don't have the faintest idea what you're referring to, but I can't bring myself to believe I could carry that off! ;-D
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