I developed a back problem at age 25. Went to the chiropractor and he told me he could give me adjustments and do the vibrating electrodes on my back for the rest of my life or I could change my lifestyle and fix my posture. I wouldn’t say it was overnight but I went back to him maybe 4x over 4 weeks and he always mentioned my posture. I started paying attention to how I sit, stand, and sleep and imagined the curves of my spine, the shape it forms when I do all those things. I knew none of them were right. I googled a picture of a spine so many times just for continuous reference on what good posture should look like.

At first I realized my couch was too cushy. I’d sink in and it couldn’t support my weight. I couldn’t maintain good posture on it whatsoever. Then I realized I would stand with a turkey neck. And then I realized when I sleep with a pillow, I’m sleeping with turkey neck. So I got a new couch. I paid attention to my neck and shoulders when I stand. I stopped sleeping with pillows.

My back pain disappeared within 2-3 months, I stopped needing special shoe insoles around the same time. Posture turned around pretty quickly, I’d say within a year I was actively paying attention to how I’d sit literally everywhere I went, sometimes choosing not to sit at all if the chair wasn’t good for my posture. Just politely say I felt like stretching my legs.

I learned that I sleep much better on my back without a pillow. I fold a comforter on my half of the bed, and when I’m laying down ready to sleep, I bunch it up just slightly under my lower back for proper curvature and under the nape of my neck for support so my chin isn’t pushing into my collar bone at night. I still use a pillow for when I turn on my side for head support.

One point of pride, my girlfriend’s father is a cardiologist and just at Christmas we were at a restaurant and he asked about my good posture. Not many people notice it but a doctor noticing it while I wasn’t even focusing on it felt really good.