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Step 1
Maintain good posture, even while relaxing. Bad posture is particularly harmful when sustained over a long period of time, like while while watching a movie or reading a book, so correcting poor posture during these times will prevent fatigued muscles later.
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Step 2
Position your computer monitor at the correct height and distance from your eyes. Your monitor should sit about 16 to 18 inches from the tip of your nose and the center of the monitor should be level with your chin. You'll also want to make sure to avoid any glare since it will cause you to cock your head to one side, lean forward or lean backward, which puts unnecessary pressure on the neck muscles.
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Step 3
Use a headset or a speaker phone to avoid the temptation to hold the phone between your ear and shoulder.
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Step 4
Bend from the hips, not from the back. Just about any motion that involves the spine also has the potential to pull on the neck muscles improperly, so keeping your spine aligned with your neck will go a long way to reduce extra work for your neck muscles.
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Step 5
Take regular breaks from any prolonged work. A 5 minute break every 90 minutes will help your body naturally realign itself and reduce neck fatigue. Take a short walk or do some simple stretches during these breaks.
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Step 6
Get plenty of sleep on a mattress that provides proper support. Your body works to realign itself in your sleep, so missing sleep means your body doesn't have time to recover from your daily grind. The neck is particularly prone to this buildup of strain.
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Step 7
Keep your ears aligned over your shoulders and your chin level, not tucked in. This helps you sustain the natural, gentle curve of the neck.
