Remember the old days when smartphones weren't a thing? Now, it sometimes feels like they’ve taken over our lives, almost to the point of addiction. According to App Annie, people spend an average of 4.2 hours per day on their smartphones.

The constant hunching over our phones and tablets takes a toll on our posture and wellbeing. “Tech neck” is a term used interchangeably to refer to either (a) the pain caused by pressure on the muscles at the back of our neck as we hunch over our screens, or (b) the horizontal lines across our neck resulting from gazing downwards excessively.

As tech neck (both the pain and lines) becomes more common, we thought we’d share some tips on how to strengthen your neck while reducing lines and other signs of age.  An excellent first tip is to start treating your neck as an extension of your face. During your morning and evening skincare routines, start applying a skin strengthening serum/moisturizer (such as our Amrutini® Collection). We suggest gently massaging product into your neck and upper chest using an upward motion.

Some other tips to remedy tech neck include:

• If you have a sedentary job – get up, move about and spend time away from your screen, preferably every 30 minutes or so.
• Get a chair that reclines and has good lumbar support. Lean back as much as practical while you’re working.
• Keep your phone, tablet and laptop as close to eye level as possible (or at least, don’t keep it on your tummy).
• Stand up straight. Good posture, with the chin tucked in and shoulders pulled back, keeps the body aligned in a neutral position.
• Don’t forget to stretch. Here are some light yoga-inspired stretches especially helpful for the neck and back

1. Ear to shoulder and neck rolls: the basic, self-explanatory moves to relieve neck stress.

2. Puppy stretch: feels amazing and counters all that hunching forward we do all day! Hold for up to 3 minutes (but you can start with 30 seconds and work up).