Reclaiming Self-Care

This time of year is crunch time for a lot of folks. And I’m not talking about your job. I’m talking about your neck.

Extra long hours at work to get year-end projects completed. Hunching over your phone to find the right last-minute gifts. Driving longer distances to visit family and friends for holiday gatherings.

It all adds up to a lot of neck tension. Here’s a simple and gentle way to lengthen those crunched-up neck muscles:
- Tilt your head to the left.
- Sit on your right hand.
- Gently guide your head toward your left shoulder with your left hand.
- Hold for 90 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.

Sitting on your hand ensures your shoulder won’t creep up as your head tilts, so the muscles will actually elongate.

90 seconds ensures the fascia (connective tissue that surrounds each muscle) will also elongate. It’s not as flexible as muscle tissue and needs longer to release.

Try this 3-minute exercise 3x a day for 3 days and see what you notice.