My desktop

It’s been a full two weeks since I transitioned from sitting to standing while I work. I have to admit, despite my commitment to this occupation lifestyle change, I had my apprehensions.

My reasons for switching were health and space. Regarding the latter, I was leaving a big home office and would have to squeeze my workstation into a much smaller area. Chairs take up a lot of room. But I could have worked that out. Health was my major motivator. With an increase in workload, I might be at my computer up to ten hours a day. That’s a helluvalot of sitting.

The decision had been made. I sold my desk.

The chair I sold

A few weeks later, I sold my ergonomic chair. In our new home, David IKEA-hacked a standing desk for me, and my days of endless sitting were over.

After two weeks, I can say with confidence that it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. While I’m working with music on, I can’t help but shimmy and dance a bit, and when I’m waiting for videos to render or pages to load, I busy myself with calisthenics. Because I’m already standing, what used to seem like major interruptions -- refilling my glass of water or fetching a phone charger or doing a few sets with the dumbbells by my desk – are now nothing more than small undertakings.

My new standing desk!

Now, instead of taking a break to stand and stretch, I take a break to sit for a few minutes, maybe sip an espresso and contemplate a hummingbird outside the window, before getting back up and going to work. Now, rather than being fatigued after a day of heavy sighs, slouching, and clicking, I feel pleasantly tired. I think it has to do with all the little movements I make throughout the day, the sum total of which offers the same sort of stress release I get from a 30-minute jog.