How to stop slouching

Why it sticks

Slouching is what your body does when it has held one position too long. Muscles tire and you sink into the chair. Laptops make it worse by putting the screen below eye level, so your head drops forward to see it. The payoff is that it is easier in the moment. You sit up straight, forget, and twenty minutes later you are folded again.

How to stop slouching

1. Raise the screen to eye level

   Put a laptop on a stand or a pile of books and use a separate keyboard. The top of the screen should be roughly at eye height. Fixing the setup does more than any reminder.

2. Stand up every hour

   Set a repeating timer or use a watch reminder. Stand, stretch and walk for a couple of minutes.

3. Sit back in the chair

   Push your hips to the back of the seat and let the backrest support you. A small cushion behind your lower back helps if the chair is flat.

4. Strengthen the back and core

   Rows, planks and back extensions twice a week make good posture less tiring to hold. Ten minutes is enough to start.

5. Use your phone at eye level

   Lift the phone instead of dropping your head. It feels odd for a few days and saves a lot of neck strain.

6. Check pain with a professional

   Persistent back or neck pain is worth seeing a GP or physiotherapist about. Slouching is rarely the only cause.

What to track instead

A row that only records the habit not happening gets a tick on the days you were never tempted, and tells you nothing on the day it mattered. Give the row to the replacement:

• Screen at eye level
• Stand up every hour
• Ten minutes of back exercises
• Phone held at eye level

Print a tracker with these 4 habits or open them in a spreadsheet.

Your first week

1. Day 1. Raise your screen to eye level using whatever you have.
2. Day 2. Set an hourly stand-up reminder.
3. Day 3. Add a cushion behind your lower back.
4. Day 4. Do ten minutes of rows and planks.
5. Day 5. Hold your phone up every time you use it today.
6. Day 6. Repeat the back exercises.
7. Day 7. Check how many hourly breaks you took this week.