We write about wellness frequently at ProfHacker. I have yet to follow all my cowriters’ good advice, but I have recently made a change to my office setup that’s benefited my mental state, and may have some physical benefits as well. In short, I’ve created a space in my office where I can work standing up.
Standing desks have received lots of attention lately from productivity and health sites for a simple reason: it’s pretty obvious that sitting at a desk, hunched over a computer, is not the healthiest way to spend eight hours (or more) of every day. The human body isn’t optimized for such immobility. Standing desks alow you to stretch and move while you work—you burn more calories than sitting.
Folks have hacked together standing desks in many ways. One of the simplest standing desks I’ve seen consisted of a board sitting atop stacks of books standing on the creator’s regular office desk. I actually found an old lecturn in my building and rolled it into my office. The lecturn is the perfect size for standing and reading, so I alternate between working on my computer while sitting and reading on my feet. I have yet to see many physical benefits (I’ve only been standing at work for a few weeks), but I have noticed mental benefits. When I start to get tired, which usually happens just after lunch, I can stand and work through my lethargy. I especially find that standing helps me stay alert while reading.
How about you? Have you tried standing up at work? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
[Creative Commons licensed photo by Flickr user Luke Hayfield.]
