Workstation Tips
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Maybe I'm growing old, but I've started to become more picky/sensitive about workstations, particularly comfort. Things that didn't matter much to me before are now very noticeable and make a big difference (e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Back Pains, Butt Pains etc.). I thought it would be nice if we could discuss (agree or disagree) and chip in ideas on how to get a better workstation for yourself and the people around you, both at home and at work. I know it all differs per person, but if we had a collective list then we can all run through them and try them ourselves. Kindly throw in your ideas, no matter how simple, crazy, or funny it sounds. I'll keep re-updating the original post with the list when suggestions are added. I'll start with a few simple ones that I've picked up from experience. [H] means for home, [W] means for work.
WORKSTATION TIPS
WORKSTATION TIPS
- [H][W] Use a pen tablet always. Years of using the computer has messed up my hand, and I can't use a mouse longer than 10 minutes without my wrist and elbow hurting. Ever since I used a pen tablet, I've never looked back.
- [W] Check your workstation if you have outlets/cables/switches that you can potentially kick. In almost all companies I've been to that use a computer, there's always someone who kicks or trips on the cables/outlets/UPS.
- [H][W] If you're not using a laptop, use a UPS.
- [H][W] Make sure your rig's exhaust is clear. Wipe off dust blocking the exhaust. Check if the exhaust has good flow. I've seen a lot of computers where the exhaust is blocked (towers enclosed in a shelf and against the wall). If your laptop's exhaust is still located at the bottom, have it elevated a bit/use a laptop cooling stand.
- [W] Have a clean coat/jacket in your office for use when the AC or weather is too cold
- [H][W] Don't eat/drink food in your workstation. It might spill and damage devices, and it also brings in rats/cockroaches. If it cannot be avoided (e.g. crunch time/workaholic), make sure your food isn't something that stinks up your area/the entire room.
- [H][W] Have a bottle of rubbing alcohol and tissue, for cleaning your hands and devices/workstation. Wipe down your work area every once in awhile. It's one of these things that sucks every time you think about it and seems like such a pain. I always tell myself (same with running/lifting weights) I've never once regretted doing it, so might as well just do it - EvanL, paololazatin.
- [W] Wear headphones/earphones so as not to contribute to noise. And don't sing loudly, unless you're 100% sure everyone is cool with it/likes your voice. They might be going crazy, just tolerating it out of politeness.
- [H][W] Invest in a d*mn good comfortable chair, it'll save you from back pains/butt pains.
- [H][W] Take a shower and wear deodorant. This should be basic knowledge, but a lot of people run into this problem. It is usually a sensitive issue, so people don't always address it directly. Please be considerate of the people around you. If a person must be addressed for this reason, kindly do so by pulling aside the person and talking to him/her privately--don't embarrass the person by announcing it to the world/making fun of him/her.
- [H][W] Exercise your hands and have some exercise tools for your hands such as grippers and baoding balls. At the very least get a light weight to hold in your hand and rotate your wrist around - ExcessiveZero, tdHendrix
- [H][W] Use a keyboard tray with an adjustable height for posture - tdHendrix
- [H][W] Use a USB keypad (e.g. X-Keys http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xk24.php) for all your most common shortcuts.- tdHendrix
- [H][W] Drink lots of water to force yourself to stand up every now and then to go to the washroom (for the exercise and mental break that we all need). Plus it's always nice to walk around and take a peek at some of the awesome stuff your co workers are working on - EvanL, 2cat
- [H][W] When feeling tired and/or sleepy(particularly after lunch), sit on the edge of your chair to get an energy boost. This also promotes good posture - EvanL
- [H][W] Use a standing desk. This discourages gaming and keeps you more awake/alert. Also easier to change posture, walk around when thinking, and even dance a little while waiting for bakes. Much better for your health than sitting. A lot of people say it's also healthier for your back, but I'm not entirely convinced about that. It is much easier to maintain good standing posture than sitting however. It also helps to get a good fatigue mat to stand on -Equanim
- [H][W] When using a standing desk, stand on a good cushion or fatigue mat -Equanim
- [H][W] The key to making a standing desk work, imo, is to have a sitting contingency. You don't want to be stuck standing all through crunch. I have my computer hooked up to my TV and a little wireless keyboard/trackpad for more basic tasks. Hemingway and Jefferson both used standing desks, but they also had places they could sit when they needed to. Equanim
- [H][W] Get an arm for your monitor, being able to position it freely makes a HUGE difference. -Equanim
- [H][W] Smoke Breaks (if you smoke, obviously). Helps relieve stress, encourages you to get up from your workstation, and sometimes interaction with colleagues - reverendK
- [H][W] Alternate hands for the mouse/tablet. I mouse with my right hand and tablet with my left so each hand gets an extended rest through the work week. I'm a lefty so it's common to split some tasks between the left and right hand. - Justin Meisse
Replies
Maybe I'm young but all of that sounds a little ott, these are just daily things most of us do anyway and so far I have not been affected by the other points you made.
I also feel the need to add in my own random work comfort habit, and that's to just stand up and walk around at random intervals.
On the mouse and tablet thing, I think its important to keep your grip and fingerstrength strong regardless, my best friend plays guitar pretty much all hes done all his life and I have better finger strength than him, I use baoding balls for fun, do some heavy grippers and my girlfriend most recently got me into using chopsticks, theres a real art to it, so im enjoying that.
its also a good idea to lift kettlebells, so much of your stability with a pen comes from your shoulders I think.
Hard not to eat and drink at a computer for me as that means taking me away from work, I only buy cheap keyboards because of a few incidents though now, but in a way thats better as you can chuck them out pretty much every year, a lot more hygienic.
Using a keyboard tray that you can adjust the height of is really useful for posture. At work I had my keyboard on the desk, my Wacom tablet on the keyboard tray, and had a USB keypad next to the tablet (http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xk24.php).
X-keys is a really useful device that you can program with all your common shortcuts. Since I mostly work in Maya, I had all the buttons I would need programmed onto X-keys (Like QWERTY, Alt, Control, Shift, etc) and could keep my arms in a comfortable position for a majority of the time.
-Drink lots of water. Not only is it good for you, but it'll force you to get up once every hour or 2 to go to the bathroom. Plus it's always nice to walk around and take a peek at some of the awesome stuff your co workers are working on.
-If you get tired, sit up on the edge of your chair. I have poor posture and supposedly sitting at the edge of your chair is good for your back. I just get really tired sometimes (particularly after lunch) and feel like going to sleep, but I find when I sit up at the edge of my chair, I get a momentary boost of energy. Maybe this is just me though.
Pros:
- Much easier to stay on task since gaming while standing isn't all that comfortable.
- More awake and alert. This is especially noticeable when I convert it back to sitting height and suddenly feel less energized when I open Maya.
- Easier to change posture, walk around when thinking, and even dance a little while waiting for bakes. Much better for your health than sitting.
Cons:
- Most of my breaks (I take one every 2-3 hours) are due more to leg fatigue than mental fatigue.
- Can be harder to get to work because you don't feel like standing all day. This goes away though once you're focused and on task.
- Tougher on the knees. Changing positions helps.
A lot of people say it's also healthier for your back, but I'm not entirely convinced about that. It is much easier to maintain good standing posture than sitting however. It also helps to get a good fatigue mat to stand on.
The key to making a standing desk work, imo, is to have a sitting contingency. You don't want to be stuck standing all through crunch. I have my computer hooked up to my TV and a little wireless keyboard/trackpad for more basic tasks. Hemingway and Jefferson both used standing desks, but they also had places they could sit when they needed to.
I also suggest getting an arm for your monitor, being able to position it freely makes a HUGE difference.
Posture, posture, posture.
Take a mental break every once in a while, and leave your station for a few minutes, walk around, see what others are working on, check others' progress, etc etc.
But probably the best option would be to:
Reintroduce masturbation at the office, to relieve stress and tensions.
jk
I mouse with my right hand and tablet with my left so each hand gets an extended rest through the work week. I'm a lefty so it's common to split some tasks between the left and right hand.
Yep, a lot of these might seem basic, but often we overlook it, intentionally or not. Sometimes it seems to obvious, and this is the reason we ignore it. In some instances, it's a special case due to a disability (color blind, back problems), specific characteristic (being left handed), age etc. Take the example of posture--When I about 10-20 years old, I wouldn't have cared about the chair or the sitting position. I remember seeing a person working on a standing workstation, and I didn't really see any sense to that. Now that I'm older, accumulated stress and have a weaker body, I can relate. I thought it would be a good idea to get a list for those people sharing the same conditions/prevent these conditions, also increase productivity and promote workstation etiquette.
@EvanL
Good point about the water intake. I usually skip this because I hate going to the john frequently especially when I'm in the zone. Admittedly, I'll need something nagging and urgent as peeing since I always forget to take my break.
@tdHendrix
I know a person who uses usb keys for work, I forgot which one but something that was intended for gaming. He said it was more comfortable, but I couldn't get used to it, and thought a keyboard had more keys so why bother? I guess I'll give it another shot someday.
@Equanim
I've actually been trying a standing workstation for a few days now. It's only recently that the back pain and butt pain started becoming intolerable and affecting how I work so I decided to try it. It helped with my back and butt, but my feet and knees are now the ones killing me. Wearing good rubber kicks help, but even the most comfortable pair I have starts to feel like hell after. I guess it'll take time for me to transition. I'm using a laptop so it's easy for me to switch between standing and sitting.
I know, right? That's what I thought, until I had 2 officemates (different jobs) who loved singing. One was okay, since her voice was pretty good and while she sang a lot, she didn't sing everyday. The other one was terrible, she absolutely loved singing but singing didn't reciprocate. Not exaggerating when I say she was singing 85% of the time she was in the office. I'm surprised she didn't lose her voice. Anyway, her voice sounded like nails scraping on a board plus utensils rubbing against each other. And her choice in songs didn't help any. No one told her because no one wanted to be the douche who slams the kind sweet girl. I couldn't take it so I asked her a few times to tone it down a bit, but she just laughed it off, probably thinking I was joking. For christmas, I gave her earphones as a hint and to reduce the noise (her music playing), only to realize later that it was a terrible mistake (she was more off-key and loud since she couldn't hear her voice anymore). I just ended up bringing my noise cancelling headphones to work.
That's because a fixed standing desk can be nearly as bad as a normal sitting desk. You should use a height adjustable standing desk. This allows you to sit from time to time so you don't have to stand the entire day. Some studies recommend 50% sitting, 25% standing and 25% walking over the workday.
Some think height adjustable desks are really expensive (okay, that's relative and depends on the income etc.), but a colleague of mine has bought a height adjustable standing desk from a company called Conset, which has a good build quality and was relatively inexpensive. Someone from the UK has made a review of the same model my colleague has and uploaded it to youtube: [ame="
Some other height adjustable standing desks:
I didn't include the more expensive height adjustable desks from Biomorph or Anthro, because they cost 2000-4000 dollars ... :poly114b: ... instead of a height adjustable desk you could also use a solution from ergodesktop, from which I heard many good things: http://www.ergodesktop.com/
I used to have a co-worker who would drum his fingers on his desk while thinking. Drove me INSANE.
this made me lol,
I've personally found the best way to relieve stress in the office is pranks and alcohol (after hours).
Thanks, I'll try to purchase one of those. In the meantime, I've been alternating daily between sitting and standing on two different workstations. So far so good, both my feet and bottom don't hurt these days so much (just my back). I know this suggests that I really need exercise for my weak back, so I've started planking like crazy during breaks. Keeps me awake too. During leisure times, I sit on a La-Z boy to rest my back and butt, but I wouldn't recommend it for productivity.