I’ve been doing this trick for the past 3 months and I’ve noticed a huge increase in my productivity .
It’s simple: I stand while I work
Like many of us, I have long days with a lot to do. Standing has increased my productivity 237%! Ok, I made that number up, but it sure feels like it. It just makes you focus. I don’t know the science behind it at all, it just works. I stay on task longer, and get “to-do” items done in a shorter time.
Standing also gives you a metabolism boost and helps you keep a little slimmer, something I can appreciate. While it sounds pretty simple, there are a few tips I’d like to throw in to make sure that this trick can also help you and you will stick to it after a month or even 2 years.
Find the perfect standing desk
Some people like the desks that you can crank up and down to change the height. Personally, I hate those. So I just bought a small bar-style table that is goes up almost to my chest. Do a little shopping around and you can find one that fits you personally pretty easy.
Have set standing hours
This is very important. You don’t need to stand all day. If you can stand all day, more power to you. I’m only up to 4 hours a day. When I started this little experiment I stood for 2 hours: from 8am-10am. About two weeks ago I added 2pm-4pm, when I usually felt drowsy and slow. Standing eliminated that feeling, no coffee required.
I’m going to extend my hours now to 8-11am and keep the 2-4pm. My goal is to be up to full day standing while working by the end of the year. By increasing my standing time for an hour every 2-3 months, I’ll barely even notice the extra time.
Take a break
Take a thirty minute to hour break from standing (and working) every 2-3 hours. Grab your iPad and sit on company couch. Do some email, read some industry news, check your twitter, facebook, and whatever social account you are on these days.
This let’s your mind and body relax and acts as a mini “detox” from all the stresses of the day.
Final Thoughts
There are many little tricks to increasing productivity . Everyone works differently though, so one person’s trick may not work for another person. I’m always looking for new productivity ideas though and love testing them out.
What do you do to increase productivity?