By Published On: July 23, 2015

Just over a year ago, Sheryl wrote a blog about her new stand-up desk. Well, actually, it was an attachment to her traditional desk that allowed her to lower and raise her monitor and keyboard.

She listed all the health reasons it was important for her to work standing up and I whole-heartedly agree with everything she said. Read her blog here.

Before I came back to d.trio, I had several different iterations of stand-up desks, too. One was a duo of high-quality adjustable-height wood platforms that sat on top of my desk that held my monitor and keyboard. Another was a big heavy piece of black plastic that served the same purpose, but had a bit more surface space. There was also an adjustable desktop that was raised up and down with a hand crank (super old-school, but quite effective).

I am happy to say that, today, I have the mother of all stand-up desks. It’s has a wooden, full-desk-size surface perched on heavy-duty legs, and the whole thing rises and lowers with the push of a button. No more moving my laptop from one place to another so I can sit down. No more hand crank. No more reaching down to a lower surface to get to my papers (yes, I still use papers). I love this thing!

In addition to all the health-benefits that come with working standing up, I have noticed a few more benefits of my slick new desk:

  1. When someone stops by my office to look at something on my screen, it’s already at eye-level. There’s no need for them to crouch awkwardly over my shoulder or move a chair around to sit.
  1. When someone stops by my office to chat, they sit in the chair on the opposite side of my desk, and we wait 30 seconds for my desk to lower so we can both sit and discuss an important client project (or rehash the events of the weekend).
  1. When I’m super busy and running around to grab things from the printer or looking for someone to make some fast-turn edits, there’s no need to get up and push my annoying chair out of the way. I simply bolt out the door. I know we’re not saving lives, but those seconds can be crucial when trying to meet a deadline (or meet some friends for happy hour).
  1. A laptop, a monitor, computer speakers, a lamp, my water glass, a coffee mug, piles of folders, and a mish-mash of other miscellaneous things I need to get through my day, all move with me whether I’m standing or sitting. It’s like having a personal assistant making sure I’m always comfortable and working efficiently.
  1. While standing, with just a slight turn of my head, I can see the progress being made on the new brewery right across the street.

I’m fortunate that my company values my health and happiness enough to provide me with such a great tool. If yours does too, check out http://standdesk.co/. Happy standing!

About the Author: Danette Knickmeier

Danette Knickmeier
The number of hats Danette wears at the agency rivals the number of toppings you can put on a pizza. Now seven years into her second residency at cat&tonic, she enjoys putting her many talents to use, including (but not limited to) account services, project management, strategic planning, copy and content writing, general operations, and snack ordering. Her wicked planning skills and natural ability to keep projects on task—without annoying all parties involved—make her our go-to, get-it-done person. Danette’s first stint at [c&t] lasted six years before she got the itch to try on a few larger agencies for size. She grew professionally and made several life-long friends in those days, but she missed the small agency vibe and was eagerly welcomed back by her life-long [c&t] friends.
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