#WorkFlow – The Dynamic Workstation, Sitting on the Floor and Managing Chronic Pain

#WorkFlow – In the moment picture taken by my husband. We were deciding the best picture approach for @mind_body_eds’ EDS Awareness campaign for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome awareness month (it’s May – this month). I was working, which has been more than my already-too-much work schedule, because of pretty significant personal and professional life changes that I’m facing (we are facing). He thought this picture of “how I work & deal” living with EDS summed of my per usual daily life – constant pain, trying to focus, managing the ups and downs of chronic fatigue & adrenaline surges (it’s like riding a wave that you never know when you will suddenly crash or hit the beach still standing), the desperation to check boxes & feel somewhat productive, and the need to constantly move and stretch (it’s uber important too). There’s also the humbling reality that despite my dynamic workstation, I’ve still been sitting way too much & for far too long. – for years. The physical effects have been humbling despite still “working out” and the countless times I’ve written and spoken on this very subject. I don’t have a desk – I sit on the floor or stand or walk around while working. In this picture, I’m sitting on a half-foam to give my butt muscles some “vitamin texture” to adapt to and to invite a few restorative exercises into my workflow – ie. the click-clack.
The secretary spread? It’s a legit biomechanical phenomenon – one I’ve written a few times, specifically in the post ‘MY BUTT IS FLAT! WHY SITTING TOO MUCH CAUSES CHRONIC PAIN, MUSCLE ATROPHY AND PROBLEMS MOVING AROUND’. So, in honor of EDS Awareness month, I’d share both my # of years to diagnosis story – posted on @edswellness. Part 2 follows part 1 – link is also in my bio (part 1 – https://instagram.com/p/Bi7JDmYAy4l/). And I’m sharing 2 pics showing “real daily life” taken by my husband before the campaign pictures. The second picture shows how “natural flexibility” (with no warm-up, intense training, or constant stretching) is not always a virtue, or one to strive for – and it’s often a sign of a possible hypermobility related disorder, such as one for 14 types of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes or a Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD). Hypermobility is more than “just loose joints” and often more than “benign.” It also hand-in-hand with the 14 types of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), and other hypermobility related disorders/syndromes (there are a hundreds).
Shared 1st on Instagram