Changing my work environment to get out of chair and work faster.
(If you haven’t read part 1 of this story, please Click Here to go back and start there to start from the beginning of this story)
If the problem was sitting, then I went looking for a solution to stand while I worked. Back in my early college days, I worked as a bank teller for about a year and remember being told that studies showed that people who stand tend to be more productive. At the time, I was still young and “antsy”, so standing was always more comfortable to me then sitting for long periods of time. I noticed the times I sat really did slow my pace considerably and I would naturally (sometimes unconsciously) pushed my chair away when things got busy and I needed to pick up the pace. At the teller window, the counters were already at a level where a standing position was more natural, so finding a way to elevate my whole desk became my mission for the week. The week after, I was looking to find a chair or stool to match the new elevated height of my desk. (if lifting your desk is not an option, I’ll show you another solution I found that can easily elevate your keyboard and mouse too).
I briefly thought about elevating my laptops and monitors right on my desk, but couldn’t think of a great way to do it with the furniture we used. It really didn’t take long for me to figure out that raising the whole desk was a better option over all, as long as I used something sturdy and stable enough to make it safe. A quick trip to Lowe’s, and I found exactly what I was looking for. BRICKS! After buying the bricks I needed, (at a cost of less than $25) I woke up early the next morning and went to the office an hour before my work day began. I cleared my desk (that was not an easy task) and lifted each corner one by one as I placed the bricks in place. A little over an hour later, my mission was complete and I was ready for the workday with my new setup! Naturally, some of my co-workers inquired about my change so I sent them the infographic and told them I was interested in seeing if there was any change in my weight and health. The picture at the top of this blog post shows what my desk looked like after I raised it.
Unfortunately, my company went virtual and we closed the office so everyone worked from home. My hours got cut at the same, so I went in search for other employment and was put back at a desk in a cubicle that wasn’t going to be easy to elevate. So I found another great solution to getting things raised right on the desk.
Check back here tomorrow to see another solution when you can raise your desk…