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Things I've quit doing at my desk

justinjackson.ca

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Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#31

Post by Dn_Ab »

_delirium wrote: post #3

#1 (thinking elsewhere, especially while taking a walk) is definitely true for me, but it does require being in a setting where you're allowed to leave the office for a few hours in the middle of the day to go for a walk in a nearby park. In academia or at your own startup, probably not a problem, but many companies aren't very accommodating of people leaving the office for hours at a time.

hmm I am most creatively intelligent in a state between sleeping and waking. Everything just flows. But sadly, it only lasts not more than a minute. Then I am awake and wistful about the sudden drop in what feels like 10-15 IQ points.

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#32

Post by 001sky »

cstejerean wrote: post #11
poblano wrote: post #6

Has anyone else switched to a standing desk setup? Do you like it?

Yep. I first switched to a standing desk at work, and later got one for home as well (built from IKEA parts). I've found that I'm a lot more productive with a standing desk, mostly because I procrastinate less. Adjusting to working while standing is difficult. Adjustable desks that can go up and down, especially at the push of a button, only make it harder to actually get used to it. You'll get tired quickly from sta…

You'll get tired quickly from standing

Agree. Not to be overlooked. Standing ~8 hrs non-stop requires athletic fitness and good posture. One would be surprised. Your shoes, etc. need to be supportive. Any lack of support or posture will make itself known. =D

For those who type have you had issues with your posture standing? I've never used a standing desk but would be concerned that putting weight forward and looking down would be tiresome or fatiguing?

For long periods, it's usually chest out shoulders back and head level (like the army). As off balance element in the spinal column requires a lot of energy to keep upright, otherwise.

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#33

Post by kachnuv_ocasek »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #2

I would add "Eating" to the list. I eat at my desk all the time, and I really need to stop. When I eat at my desk, I'm generally eating things that aren't that healthy to begin with, snacking unnecessarily, and/or eating too quickly, and doing it in some misguided notion that I'm able to work and eat at the same time. I'm not actually productive at times like that, it just lets me deal with some illogical guilt I fee…

I was expecting to find this item in the list before I opened it, more so was I disappointed when it wasn't there. I only keep a very small amount of (mostly) "healthy" food, such as grapes, a pepper, a tomato, an apple or a lemon, for refreshment.

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#35

Post by ecaradec »

poblano wrote: post #6

Has anyone else switched to a standing desk setup? Do you like it?

I tried at home for a few month and couldn't adapt to it. It hurts my legs too much after a few hours. I'm really not athletic so that's part of the issue.

What annoyed me also was that I couldn't do creatives things while standing, only simple repetive tasks were ok. So I stopped.

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#38

Post by bajsejohannes »

> Nobody does their best thinking sitting at their desk. When you reflect on your biggest “Ah-Ha!” moments, how many of them occurred while you were staring at a screen?

My biggest ah-ha moments are seldom staring at a screen*, but quite often it's at my desk with a paper and pen.

(The big exception is when doing profiling; the highest ah-ha-per-second ratio of all activities)

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#39

Post by mijustin »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #2

I would add "Eating" to the list. I eat at my desk all the time, and I really need to stop. When I eat at my desk, I'm generally eating things that aren't that healthy to begin with, snacking unnecessarily, and/or eating too quickly, and doing it in some misguided notion that I'm able to work and eat at the same time. I'm not actually productive at times like that, it just lets me deal with some illogical guilt I fee…

Funny enough: I've found that eating at my desk is HEALTHIER because it forces me to pack healthy food, and then eat whatever I've brought (as opposed to eating out).

I describe this further here: http://justinjackson.ca/8-habits/

Re: Things I've quit doing at my desk

#40

Post by mijustin »

bajsejohannes wrote: post #38

> Nobody does their best thinking sitting at their desk. When you reflect on your biggest “Ah-Ha!” moments, how many of them occurred while you were staring at a screen? My biggest ah-ha moments are seldom staring at a screen*, but quite often it's at my desk with a paper and pen. (The big exception is when doing profiling; the highest ah-ha-per-second ratio of all activities)

I've found that my screen is just too darned distracting. ;) For me, pen and paper at a coffee shop is perfect.
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