30 Days of Standing

One thing I really miss about being in an office is the access to a standing desk. In a previous company, I really had to push to have an adjustable standing desk, in other companies I’ve never had the option. Once we moved to working from home, I just let it slide, and earlier this year I had a relapse in a recurring back pain from a sports injury a few years ago.  

Apart from physiotherapy stretches and exercises, something that really helps in my recovery is standing while working. I had been lazy at home trying a set-up of furniture that would allow me to do that, in a small one-bedroom apartment. However, I luckily have a creative partner who helped me set up a standing desk in our shared workspace, and I liked it so much I used it for over a month. From experience, I do know how much it can support your physiology in more ways than you realise. Let me share those with you... 

How? 

• You don’t need a standing desk! The beauty of the laptop life is that you can really work from anywhere. I have put a chair on top of my dining table, and then used two Yoga blocks to raise my mouse to a good height, and it worked really well. Another option is an ironing board on top of two chairs 
• Shoes! If you’re on your feet most of the day, wear good shoes with sole support - the slippers won’t make the cut, unless you are hardcore like me (Hallo Haflinger Hausschuhe)  
• Take your meetings standing up - when people can only see your face, why not stand and get the benefits 
• It’s not all or nothing! I would recommend starting out with 30-60 minutes a day to get used to it and build up from there. I rarely do an entire day of standing, as it can be exhausting for the legs and feet.  

Why? 

1. Your back will thank you! We are already sitting far too long in the day, this will give a break on your back muscles and strengthen your legs  
2. Switching from standing to sitting helps you gain a different perspective throughout the day, mirroring how we might be able to think differently as we move from desk to coffee station to meeting room in a normal office.  
3. I don’t encourage counting calories, but you will burn (marginally) more calories by standing rather than sitting during the day 

Take it to the next level - have walking meetings! If your call doesn’t require video or screen sharing, why not take it on the move, and go for a walk while you chat. 

Sharing a good snippet from 2016 Harvard Business Review, on Standing Desks, with some data behind the study.

#standingdesk #workfromhomelearnings