Using an adjustable height desk at work has given me a more active lifestyle.
In previous posts we’ve given you a lot of information about the Xdesk adjustable height desk. We’ve told you how they are made, a bit of history on the standing desk, how they can help improve your health, and how the Xdesk adjustable height desk can improve the health of the planet as a whole. But these are just facts—unarguable, to be sure—but still, it is just information. So in today’s post, we thought we’d bring you something a bit closer to home: my very own story about my Xdesk ergonomic workstation.
In our first post I briefly introduced myself, but for those of you who might have missed it, let me give you a quick recap. My name is Natalie and I write this blog, not as a Xdesk employee, but as someone who personally uses a Xdesk ergonomic workstation. Seriously.
I call it an “ergonomic workstation,” because to me it is more than an adjustable height desk. My Xdesk has become something of a second home to me—it is a complete workstation, adjusted perfectly to my height and my preferred keyboard position, whether I am standing or sitting. There is plenty of room on this desk’s surface for me to sprawl out all of my notes, my calendar, and yes, snacks, photo frames, and whatever else I bring into the office that day. (Today my ergonomic workstation features a notepad, a cell phone, an empty Tupperware from lunch, two large bottles of water, and my monitor. All very official stuff, you see.)
Since I’ve started working at this job and using the height adjustable desk, I think I have become somewhat spoiled. The desk adjusts perfectly to my height, no matter what kind of shoes I’m wearing that day, and as I mentioned above there is plenty of surface space for anything and everything I need for work. Like coffee.
And when I get tired of standing and move the desk to a seated position, the transition is so smooth, said coffee won’t even spill.
Like I said, a complete ergonomic workstation.
What did I do as soon as I got home from my first day after working on the Xdesk? I tried to create my own standing desk.
I knew it might take some trial and error to create my own perfectly positioned ergonomic workstation in my living room, but I didn’t think it would be impossible. Turns out, it is.
Now when I work from home I place my laptop atop a box which sits on top of a chair, which is precariously balanced on top of my coffee table. It isn’t the best solution—in fact it’s probably a bit dangerous (it’s easy to trip on the computer cord, which is stretched awkwardly to reach the chair)—but after reading all the facts and figures on how bad for you sitting can be, I just couldn’t stand it. Or rather, sit it, I guess.
But the sad truth of the matter is, I couldn’t recreate the ergonomic workstation that the Xdesk provides me. Not only is there absolutely no “desk” surface with my laptop sitting on top of a box, on top of a chair, on top of a table, but there is no way for me to adjust the keyboard to a different height than the monitor.
See, the whole purpose of an ergonomic workstation is to create a healthier, more comfortable position for people at work. And to do this the keyboard needs to be a bit lower than the monitor so that your arms are parallel to the floor and your wrists are slightly angled down. Clearly with my setup at home I can’t do this.
So until I get a Xdesk for my home as well as office, I guess I will just be resigned to this awkward, box/chair/table setup.
Do you have a “creative” ergonomic workstation at home? How did you make it?