One of the common trends I’ve witnessed in women suffering from neck and shoulder pain is that their purses are too heavy!
When I tactfully ask if they feel their purse might be a bit over-stuffed, I generally hear one of two responses…
- “Yes, but I need everything that’s in there!”
- “I know, I know… I really should clean it out.”
To my packed-purse readers, I’ll ask which of these responses are you most likely to give?
Do you really need what you’re carrying? Apart from mace or a small safety light, if you don’t use every item at least once per week, it doesn’t belong in your purse! Put the ancillary items in the glove box or stow them in your trunk.
Consider the homeless people you’ve undoubtedly seen pushing all of their worldly possessions around on shopping carts… You’re not one of them. You don’t have to carry a suitcase on your arm every single day. Simplify!
Make it a point to cleanse the contents of your purse – schedule it on your calendar if you must, but lighten that load!
To be fair, I give the same type of advice to men who attach a dozen forgotten keys to their keychain, and sit on 3-inch thick George Costanza style wallets – packed with credit cards, membership IDs, receipts, coupons, expired insurance cards, and library cards.
All a man needs in his wallet is his driver’s license, a credit/ATM card, proof of car insurance (which can also be stored in your glove box), and a health insurance card for emergencies. Here’s a great example of a minimalist wallet.
Lugging around an 8-lb purse or sitting off-kilter absolutely forces the spine/pelvis out of alignment by putting undue stress on muscles, joints, and ligaments. Add to this other cockamamie things people do on a daily basis (like sleeping on your stomach) and you’ve got a recipe for chronic aches and pains.
A Chiropractor's Opinion 