Personal experience with adapting to a Sit Stand Desk
Recently, I have moved to a home office as my primary workspace. Post COVID forced remote work, this is the first time I am really working from a home base. While a home office setup has a lot of benefits (no commute !!!), it introduces its own challenges. The major one out of it is the increase the sedentary lifestyle due to limited movement. Increase in back niggles, a general increase in procrastination, and lessened focus was the lesson learned during COVID times for me personally.
Sit-stand desks have become popular since COVID. There is an associated promise of reducing lethargy and increased focus with them. I finally decided to invest in it. I didn’t have a specific brand in mind but knew I wanted something reliable and easy to use. After a lot of research, I chose the IKEA Mittzon . It ticked all the boxes for motor reliability, stability, minimal vibrations when standing, and a smooth height adjustment and memory mechanism.
The assembly was surprisingly straightforward, turning a usually daunting task into an enjoyable evening project. Even as someone who isn’t a DIY enthusiast, I managed to put it together without any issues.
Integrating the sit-stand desk into my daily routine was a bit of a rollercoaster ride. At first, I switched between sitting and standing frequently. I realized that easing into standing, instead of making abrupt changes, helped in adjusting to the setup. Initially, my legs felt fatigued, and I hesitated to switch positions once I was comfortable. I also generally didn’t use house slippers/shoes generally when I sat all day, but that turned out to be a must for increasing my standing time. I spent time adjusting my monitor’s height and tilt, ensuring my arms and head were ergonomically aligned in both positions.
After about a week, I found my groove. The desk’s memory function was incredibly helpful in quickly setting my preferred heights. I gradually increased my standing time, often standing while brainstorming or planning. For intense coding sessions, sitting was still my go-to. I thought standing might help curb procrastination by making me a bit uncomfortable, but that didn’t quite work out as planned.
A month in, alternating between sitting and standing is not that hard. I definitely find my focus sharper during peak work hours. Being able to adjust my working position has also led to more overall movement throughout the day. I typically stand for about 30 minutes and sit for around an hour. My goal is to balance both for optimal comfort and productivity.
The learning curve of using a sit-stand desk was real, but the benefits for my physical well-being and productivity are undeniable. Standing while working has given me a new sense of mental clarity. The more I practice, the better it gets. It’s all about finding what works best for your body and workflow.