When I began at my first internship, the hardest part for me wasn't learning how to write emails that sounded professional or work the complicated phone system without hanging up on anyone (that was the second hardest part!). It was the 3pm slump. I tried coffee, walks around the building, snacks--anything to make it over that hump. In the end, the solution found me, quite literally, at my desk at Prevention. At the time, "Sitting [was] the new smoking!" and I was assigned to write a story about it. In the name of journalism, I got my own standing desk, as well as tried a bicycle desk and a treadmill desk. After switching from sitting for most of the day to standing, I wasn't surprised that my hips felt looser, or that I got lots of funny looks from people who walked by my cubicle. What I was surprised to discover was that that 3pm slump was GONE. Like sayanara, adios, buh-BYE. The change was so drastic that I forever resolved to stand at work. I changed industries from health publishing to politics, a world where smoking is still the new smoking and "wellness" most often means grabbing some Splendas in addition to the regular sugar packets when you make the office's daily Dunkin' Donuts coffee run, I got even more funny looks, but it was worth it. And, over time, as word spread, I had more and more people asking me how they could get one. So, how are you going to get one? If your workplace has an HR department, I'd suggest asking there. If not, the desks can be pricey (especially for a model that gets installed and moves up and down--platforms you just put on top of your desk are cheaper), but it's an easy DIY, especially if you have a laptop. Just put a file box on top of your regular desk, like this: You can also use phone books or textbooks.
I'll finish with one DO and one DON'T: DO: wear comfortable, supportive shoes and/or an ergonomic floor mat (like the ones they sell for the kitchen to stand on at the sink or when you're cooking) DON'T: stand ALL day. One of the main benefits of standing is that your muscles are activated more often (so you'll use more energy--a perk for those trying to get more activity into their day), but it's even more beneficial to switch between sitting and standing. You'll be less likely to have achy legs and feet and the action of switching between standing and sitting will use even more energy. It's not that the position of sitting itself is bad, it's more that by sitting all day, you're not getting any physical activity. I'd suggest trying different time standing versus sitting ratios and seeing what works for you (and it won't always be the same every day, so even more reason to go with what feels good! Your body will tell you). |