Guide · body · 3 min read
Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — what actually works, when you only have a few minutes
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Start here
Six things, in the order that makes the most difference. The first two do most of the work.
A few minutes is the whole requirement.
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
Start with the jaw. Let your back teeth part slightly. Most people hold their jaw closed all day and only notice at night.
Drop your shoulders by a centimetre. Not a shrug in reverse — just let gravity do the work.
Stand up and walk to another room once an hour. Not for exercise — just so your body remembers it has legs.
What to do when it does not work
Uncurl your hands. If you have been typing, your fingers are probably still curved around an invisible keyboard.
Change position every thirty minutes rather than trying to find the perfect posture. There is no correct way to sit for eight hours.
Check whether your tongue is pressed against the roof of your mouth. It usually is.
Questions people ask
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.
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.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.
If this is not the angle you need, try What to do when everything is too much, for people who have tried everything, when you are too tired to try hard, When the inner voice will not let something go — the short version, when you have just finished work or What to do when you wake at 3am — the long answer, briefly, before something difficult.