Guide · body · 3 min read
Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — a straightforward guide, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Start here
None of this is glamorous. All of it is doable, which matters more.
When concentration is gone, work with what is left.
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first point below. It is first because it removes the most friction for the least effort.
What helps
Stand up and walk to another room once an hour. Not for exercise — just so your body remembers it has legs.
Change position every thirty minutes rather than trying to find the perfect posture. There is no correct way to sit for eight hours.
Start with the jaw. Let your back teeth part slightly. Most people hold their jaw closed all day and only notice at night.
What to do when it does not work
Check whether your tongue is pressed against the roof of your mouth. It usually is.
Uncurl your hands. If you have been typing, your fingers are probably still curved around an invisible keyboard.
Drop your shoulders by a centimetre. Not a shrug in reverse — just let gravity do the work.
Questions people ask
Do I need a standing desk?
Only if you will actually change position. A standing desk you stand at for four hours is no better than a chair you never leave.
Why does my jaw hurt in the morning?
Often clenching or grinding during sleep. That is worth mentioning to a dentist, who will recognise it immediately.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try How to get through the first hour without your phone — what nobody tells you, if you are doing this in the middle of the day, Do you actually need eight glasses of water — the short version, when you are waiting for something or How to stop scrolling in bed — the long answer, briefly, when you have already had a long week.