2+ years at a standing desk for 8+ hours a day. Love it.
We’ve already talked a lot about how sitting all day is killing us, but what you might not know is just how good simply standing for a few hours a day can be. A new study found remarkable health benefits of standing versus sitting.
How did you adjust to it? I really find that I don't process words as well while standing and typing, so I'm curious about the transition.
It was a huge improvement for me in terms of productivity and focus. Generally, I sit down during the day when I'm going to be drafting first drafts or something else more lackadaisical. If I already know what I'm going to be putting together, I do it standing up.
I do the standing desk at work, so creative writing isn't something I do at a standing desk, generally. I sit (and use a different style of keyboard and mouse) once I get home, so that 16 hours on a computer every day doesn't kill me early.
That makes a lot more sense. I found that when I was trying to draft something that standing up annoyed me more than anything else, and I'd rather go kick a ball around or do something less demanding creatively. That split might work out better for me… now, to convince the boss! [grinning] Thanks!
Here's what I did.
Start with your basic cubicle.
Grab two Linnmon table tops from Ikea. Either 39" long (~$6 ea.) or (my preference) the 47". Both lengths are the same 23.5" depth, which fit most cubicle dimensions perfectly.
(If you don't have an Ikea around, just check out the website, see what I'm talking about, and go look for something similar – they are very common dimensions.)
Buy two four-packs of Capita legs from Ikea. They come in 4", 6", and 8" lengths, and the desk tops are 1" deep, so add leg height to desk thickness to get and figure out what combination will bring the top of the desk even with your elbows, once the whole things sitting on your cubicle desk.
(Note: If you're short and want to save a few bucks, you can go with just one Linnmon tabletop and one set of 8" legs. That's too short for me, but works for some folks in my office.)
Example: I am six feet tall. My cubicle desk is 28.5" high. I got one set of 8" legs, and one set of 4" legs which, combined with the two desk tops, makes a standing desk 'addition' that's roughly 14.5" high or, when added to the cubicle, 43" from the ground.
If you want to get fancy, get one more set of capita 4" legs and mount them to a spare Billy bookshelf shelf – use that as a riser for your monitors.
Works a treat, costs from 40 to 60 bucks total (half that if you're short enough to only use one table), you don't have to justify it to your company's budget people, and you can take it with you when you leave.