How to Cure Boredom

It's been a bit of a dry spell here at the office for the past couple of days. There haven't been many stories a foreign writer like myself can report on. So I did what any aspiring journalist would do, and sought out stories for myself.
Today my yoga teacher was repeating to me the importance of good posture. And since I technically have a desk job at the moment, I looked around at my coworkers today and noticed that only a select few practice a proper sitting technique.
I thought about how many people in Bangalore have desk jobs. Being the IT center of India, I figured a lot. This idea would attract a large audience.
So there's the story: The Benefits of Proper Posture
The angle? Finding workers on the street who sit for long hours of their work day, and asking them if they practice good posture, and if yes, why they do it, and if they have any tips for those finding it hard to maintain the pose. I got some pretty unexpected and funny answers.
My coworker noticed me on the street talking to an auto-rickshaw driver who went off about pharmacies who want to profit off of other people's pain, and he asked if he could walk with me back to the office. Delightful chat, and it's nice to get to know coworkers not working in my direct vicinity. He is a photojournalist, and his name is Namish. I will definitely hit him up when I need some photos taken on a story I have yet to consult my editor about.
The result? A piece ready to be published, and an okay for print tomorrow. We'll see what happens after they read it...

Ever look over at your co-worker and realize they’re slouching, which causes you to rethink your seated position?

In a city where desk jobs are a constantly rising trend, it’s important for workers to be conscious of how they’re sitting. Not only is bad posture unattractive, but twisted spines can lead to chronic back pain and encourage serious breathing problems.
But enough with the consequences, what about the positive results of active engagement? Persevering will relieve neck and back pain, increase breathing and practitioners will exhibit more energy and better concentration. For those mentally exhausting desk positions, the advice is not only beneficial: It’s almost necessary.

Rickshaw driver Abdul Majid, whose job averages 13 hours of sitting time a day, is wary of pharmaceutical practises and their expenses. He hopes his proper posture will reduce his chances of ever having to participate.
“They want to profit off of pain, and I don’t want to contribute to that,” he said.
Requiring medical attention for back pain is a last resort, and sitting right is the ideal preventative measure.
“I know my back should be in proper position. And today I’ve experienced no back problems,” said Vijay Yadav, worker at LUNDbeck India, who sits on average six hours a work session.
Consciously maintaining a healthy sitting position can cause an annoyance in its dawning stages, but this is in part due to poorly developed back muscles, which will strengthen if given enough time and effort.
It is a myth that good posture means having a perfectly straight spine. In trying to do this, it could be straining the back more than helping it. Instead, make sure the bottom curve and top curve on the back are forming reversible C’s, creating an S-shape.
Many workers falsely believe that an exercising routine alone will keep their limbs nimble, reducing the need to stay physically conscious in their chairs.

“I do a lot of exercise, but I have observed that sitting continuously can still be problematic,” a banker, who prefers to remain anonymous, commented on his nine hour work day. “To keep sitting upright, I take a loop around my cabin and roll my shoulders and neck. It works.”
He also advises doing yoga to nurture the proper sitting pose. Sitting right is a holistic practice.
“I tell you, it’s a job requirement to sit right,” he said.




And a few more (serious) stories to pitch if this dry spell is ever to occur again...