Studio Sunday-Standing Desk Update

About four months ago, I made a post about changing how I work on my computer—from sitting to standing. The reason was shoulder pain and an inability to maintain proper sitting posture in the chair. I can report that it has been a success. It was easier to get used to doing design work and playing with images in Photoshop than writing but part of the reason may be that writing is less fun because I am such a lousy typist.

One of my problems when sitting has always been that when I am intently working, I can stay in pretty much the exact same position for hours. The good news is that I frequently move around when standing. I still do try to set a timer at the other end of the studio to get away from the screen but it's not as necessary.

I have just made two new additions that improve the new way even more.

An anti-fatigue mat to stand on—it is harder on the legs and feet—

And glasses with a prescription tailored to the distance I stand away from screen—about 14". When I was at Market Square Optical in Newburyport a few years ago and complaining about how I had trouble seeing the computer , the owner Tom Collins suggested he could make me a pair of glasses that would be adjusted for exactly that viewing distance. I never did it when I was sitting because I was always hunched over. When I decided that this standing system was here to stay, I got the glasses. It has made a huge difference. I am standing exactly straight and I can see perfectly! Thank you Tom.

And you may notice from the top photo that my clean desk of September 25's post did not last.