A personal blog
I have recently switched jobs and had to set up a home office. I have heard a lot of good things about standing desks and thought this was the perfect opportunity to try one. I had looked for one online but those things aren’t cheap (~ $800).
Instead of dropping some serious cash, I stacked up some bins and made a poorman’s standing desk. I have a laptop stand and a second monitor. Nothing special, really.
I have been standing while programming for over a week now and I wanted to share a few thoughts. If you’re wondering if you should get a standing desk, I’d definitely recommend it.
I have set up my desk in such a way that if I want to sit down to do some work I have to give up the second monitor and my Das keyboard. I use a 13" Macbook Pro so the number of pixels is rather limited. I love my loud Das keyboard and want to use it as much as possible. This works extremely well.
When I take a break to have lunch with my family (or something like that), I make it a point to sit down and rest my feet. When I get back in the office, I don’t feel like I’m gonna die.
I have found that when I’m standing I rarely check Hacker News or read articles. I think it’s because reading an article or two isn’t complex enough for my brain and it can do other things at the same time—like think about how much my feet hurt. I find that when I’m standing I get a lot more done because I can focus a lot more. Near the end of the day when I’m tired and actually do sit down to work, I feel like I’m walking under water. Since I’m just getting started I have allowed myself some slack here and there. I don’t want to go too fast and burn out.
I have heard that people like to dance when they’re standing at their desk. I always thought this was pretty silly until I caught myself doing it. I listen to a lot of rock n roll so it’s not exactly surprising.
Obviously, your feet will hurt. However, it’s not nearly as bad as I thought. I’m 23 and fairly fit so maybe that’s a factor. I have had some minor lower back pain which I think is caused by the fact that I now have good posture and the body isn’t used to it.
Do you stand while working? Ever thought about getting a standing desk?
This article was first published on April 24, 2012. As you can see, there are no comments. I invite you to email me with your comments, criticisms, and other suggestions. Even better, write your own article as a response. Blogging is awesome.