6 Ways Your Posture Affects Your Creativity
Unbeknownst to many, your creativity is highly-affected by your posture when you write at your desk or when you work in front of the computer. How you sit, how you arch your back, and the angle of your hands, knees and feet may disrupt your peace at work and may even make you less inspired to go about your tasks.
But, what does your posture have to do with your talent? Here are 6 things which you should know about posture and creativity:
1. Bad posture causes body aches and pains.
Always bear in mind that the human body was not designed for sitting down; however, due to the nature of our work, sometimes, you need to stay seated in front of the computer for hours on end. Unfortunately, when we stay seated for too long, our body tends to feel tired and it releases stress through body aches and body pains.
Back aches, muscle cramps, leg cramps and neck pains are just a few side-effects caused by too much sitting, but their number one root is actually bad posture.
Bad posture will not only destroy your spine and make you feel tired although you have spent an entire day sitting down, it will also disrupt your creativity and affect your workplace productivity.
2. RSI isn't just a physical condition; it has mental effects too.
Repetitive stress injuries is caused by RSI and bad posture; however, the effects of these body aches and pains are more painful and long-term. RSI not only attacks your muscles and tendons; it also affects your mental health in unusually agonizing ways.
Those suffering from RSI and stress are more susceptible to nervous breakdowns, depression, and other emotional distresses caused by stress. Furthermore, those experiencing RSI do not easily respond to painkillers and similar medication.
With stress and pain constantly on your mind, maintaining your focus on a certain task becomes a challenge in itself! You'll spend more time thinking about your condition that preparing yourself for work.
3. Bad posture makes you tired.
This is a no-brainer: when you sit in an unusual and unhealthy manner, certain muscles of your body exert more effort so you can maintain your balance. The reason why sitting straight on your chair is highly recommended than slouching as you sit is because your body does not have to exert so much unnecessary effort just to support your upper body.
Your buttocks have enough muscles in them to support your upper body, but by slouching or sitting down in an uncomfortable manner, you are misplacing your weight into other parts of your body. When another muscle in your body is given additional work, it tends to double its efforts and tires you out in the process.
4. Bad posture also disrupts continuous blood flow through your body.
Your blood does more than just cleaning your body; it also carries nutrients and oxygen from one point in an unending cycle. When there is enough oxygen and nutrients in your nervous system (ie brain), you tend to feel more active, more productivity, and more responsive. It also follows that an active mind is a creative mind.
However, bad posture tends to disrupt healthy blood flow and those who ignore the basic rules of good posture tend to feel burned out more often than those who sit and stand the proper way. As mentioned above, bad posture may tire you out easily and tired people are extremely susceptible to stress. When you are stressed out, not only will you feel disoriented, your creativity levels also tend to decrease.
5. It's simply not "zen".
Zen may be defined as oneness of your body and mind or balance. It also means absolute peace and serenity.
The reason why yogists and Buddhist monks encourage their practitioners to follow the proper postures and poses when exercising or when meditating is because zen-like postures may lead to zen-like concentration. Zen can mean many things, but for artists and writers, zen may be defined as balance in the mind and body. Its result, which we consider "creative zen" is also best achieved by proper posture.
To achieve "creative zen", it is also recommended to work in a serene area. If you work in a busy office, not to worry, you can recreate zen-like silence with the help of white noise machines which mimic various sounds from nature and emits them in low-frequency, repetitive tones.
6. It distracts you from the task at hand and keeps you focused on the pain.
Pain is distracting and anything that destroys your concentration should be treated aggressively. You must try to find an absolute solution to pain, but everyone knows that pain has different triggers. What you can do, though, is to protect yourself before body pain hits.
One effective way to keep your mind away from the pain and into your work at hand is to make sure you exercise often and eat good food. You can also lengthen and strengthen your immunity to pain by utilizing ergonomic desks or ergonomic mice when at work so you will not have to tire your muscles out easily. Using a foot rest and a wrist rest to put your feet or wrists on will also calm your muscles, rest your body, and protect you from cramps or RSI.
Good posture can save your life and your career.
The benefits of good posture are tremendous and there is no reason why you should ignore proper posture at home and even when at work. Good posture will also protect you from a plethora of spinal conditions like scoliosis and Arnold–Chiari malformation.
On an unrelated note...
You could be suffering from Chiari malformation and not know it! Are you experiencing tinnitus, nausea, muscle weakness, restless leg syndrome, apnea and other symptoms? Consult with a doctor today!
Creativity and writer's or artist's block...
Writer's block and artist's block are two conditions which may occur when you feel uninspired to work and less creative. I recently published a piece about writer's block and 10 effective things you can do to control it. If you have any tips on maintaining your creativity and increasing your productivity, share it with us below!
