By Kevin Meyer
Regular readers know I've been a big fan of the stand up desk ever since I discovered the concept in Japan a couple years ago. I converted my old executive desk to a stand up model, came across more science supporting the concept, and had several other people in my company converted by a year later. We even took a look at fitness accessories for our stand up desks.
Our fellow blogger Dan Markovitz just pointed me to a New York Times article that discusses the subject, not just from a health perspective but out of desire to find a better way to work.
I’ve spent several weeks trying to find the perfect way to work at my computer without a chair. The search was not quixotic; standing up is in vogue. Medical researchers have found that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit, and there’s a large online subculture of stand-up fanatics who swear that getting rid of your chair will change your life. But I wasn’t just looking for better health; standing, I hoped, would also improve how I work.
The author decided to get an adjustable model similar to mine, which allows you to either sit or stand. So what happened?
After a few days of warming up, I settled into a pleasant sit/stand routine. Because I found it difficult to drink coffee or eat breakfast at my desk while standing, I began most mornings seated. I’d begin to stand about an hour later. If I had to write an article, I’d remain standing for most of the day. But if I was planning to spend a lot of time on tasks that required less creative focus — surfing the Web, making phone calls, watching online videos — I’d usually switch back to sitting at around lunch time.
Standing when you need to focus.
Nichole Stutzman, creative manager for the ergonomic furniture company Anthro, which makes a wide variety of adjustable-height desks, spotted a similar pattern at her office; people tend to stand when they want to get something done.
“We have a lot of designers here, and when they’re trying to draw or do something creative, I start hearing the desks go up,” she said.
I suspect that this is because when you’re standing, you feel a bit unchained from your desk. If I got stuck on a word or sentence as I wrote, I found myself shaking my arms, bouncing on my feet or stepping away from the desk for a bit — things I couldn’t do in a chair. Often, the antsy-ness seemed to relax my mind enough for me to get over my creative hurdle.
Which is exactly what I experience. If I'm sitting I'm complacent, my mind begins to wander, and I even daydream. If you doze off while standing up you fall over. Standing somehow creates focus and engenders creativity. Spreadsheet analysis completed in half the time, documents read quickly, reports written concisely.
In fact, the only time I tend to sit in the office is when I read my morning Wall Street Journal. Try it, you just might like it.
Roy Waterhouse says
This is something I have wanted to try but just can’t make the move. Seems to be the right way to work.
Simon Cunnane says
Hi Kevin,
I moved to the stand up desk last month and after a solid 4 weeks I can definitely say I’m converted.
My work flow is clear and understood and generally I’m just more productive.
In the spirit of Yokoten, I’ve a before and after pic of the setup if anyone wants a look.
Regards,
Simon.
Dale Savage says
So how does one convert to a stand up desk in an “open office” environment where desks are butted up against one another in a section? I like the idea but feel caught in this office setting. Any suggestions?
Eric-Stephan Neill says
Good Evening!
Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the Frech poet and author, used a stand up desk long ago.
Good ideas don’t die easily.
Duane Long says
I’ve had a sit/stand workstation for 3 years. I love it! I have back issues, and without this desk, I don’t know what I’d do. I wonder if having it before the back issues began would have been a preventative measure for the back issue.
Jason Morin says
Converted my cubicle to a stand-up work place over 3 months ago and haven’t looked back since! Thanks for the inspiration, Kevin! On occasion I still get co-workers from other areas of the office who wander over to see what I’ve done. Usually they wander away with a puzzled look on their face. It’s priceless!
Kathy Sharkey says
Ergonomic products have been around for a long time, but with the recent studies linking health issues with extended sitting, we are all taking a new look at our work place. For those of you who want the benefits of a sit to stand desk, but do not want to discard your existing desk, consider a portable unit that sits on your desk and gives you all of the same adjustability of a full size desk. Ergo Desktop provides an economical alternative to the full size adjustable height desk. http://www.ergodesktop.com
Katrin Hinrichs says
Thank you thank you thank you!
I have been searching for over a year for a solution to allow me to stand or sit at my current desk, which has a big desk drawer, column drawers on either side, and slide-out writing surfaces on either side that I use constantly. The only solution appeared to be changing to a single flat surface desk that adjusted — what to do to make up for everything else I use on the desk? Now from this comment I found exactly what I had envisioned — ergodesktop! I haven’t tried it yet, but I can’t believe my searches over and over on the topic never brought it up before.