Normal, everyday life is filled with a lot of sitting these days. We sit in our cars, we sit at our desks, we sit at the kitchen table, and we sit on our couches. Most of us have to actively seek out exercise by joining a gym or attending exercise classes because our regular days are so sedentary. This shift toward more sitting and less regular movement has only been increasing over the years.

We’re meant to move; our ancestors spent days hunting down large animals, and later, working in fields and factories, on their feet nearly the entire day. While it’s not necessary to have quite that level of daily activity, the evidence is clear that not getting enough regular movement can have some unwanted effects on our health and put us at risk for diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle can also be draining on your energy levels and mood.

That’s why sit stand desks are the perfect solution to the issue of sedentary office work. They allow you to move throughout the day. You’re not forced to remain standing, nor are you bound to a day of sitting. You can work comfortably by continuously changing positions and adjusting your desk and other equipment to fit your body. 

Too much sitting has many health risks

Sitting for long periods of time, like at a desk all day, has a number of health risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, “they include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seem to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.” The other less deadly side effects of sitting all day include muscle and joint discomfort, soreness in the back and neck, varicose veins, and weight gain.

There are also mental and emotional side effects

New research shows that sitting all day “not only carries a physical toll, but may also increase risks of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression,” according to the Association for Psychological Science. The study found that employees who spend most of the day seated had higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to employees who had more active jobs.

The same study also found that physical activity outside of work hours didn’t protect sedentary workers from the negative effects of sitting. “If people sat for most of the workday, even if they were physically active and getting exercise in their off-hours, they still showed relatively higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms than did workers who sat for less than 3 hours a day.” The negative effects of sitting can’t be undone through exercise alone. We have to reduce the amount we sit in order to really protect our bodies and minds.

The solution: a sit stand desk (and other ergonomic equipment)

Sit stand desks allow those who are typically bound to a desk during the workday to swap some of their sitting hours for standing hours. Height adjustable workstations allow you to move throughout the day so you’re not spending too much time sitting or standing (because there are also some negatives to standing too much). 

The right kind of sit stand desk will have a wide range of adjustability and can adjust to your specific height and proportions. One that reminds you to change positions throughout the day will help you get into the habit of sitting and standing while you work (like Sentinel, Sierra HX, or Fundamentals with the new bluetooth switch).

Combine your sit stand desk (or your standing desk converter on top of your regular desk) with other ergonomic equipment to ensure you can work comfortably all day long. A monitor arm will help you put your screen(s) in the right position, and an anti-fatigue mat will make standing more comfortable and active. Practicing good posture is also important to ensure you get the most of your ergonomic office equipment.

Other ways to be more active in your daily life

Once you’ve started standing more at work, try adding other activity into your day. Take breaks to stretch at your desk or go for a walk outside during your lunch hour. Opt for the stairs over the elevator. Have your colleagues join you in being more active by holding walking meetings or standing huddles. Sign up for an exercise class and bring a friend to keep you motivated. If you can, walk or ride your bike to work or to run errands rather than driving. In your leisure time, try active hobbies like gardening, hiking, or cycling. Whatever you enjoy, just try to add some more movement to your day and you’ll be set up for a healthy, active life.

Adjustable keyboard trays are a great way to provide maximum ergonomic benefits and greater levels of comfort for any workforce. When used in conjunction with fixed height desks, or with sit stand desks featuring limited ranges of adjustability, a keyboard tray can improve the overall usability and ergonomic functionality of the entire workcenter. Workrite offers a broad selection of keyboard tray systems as well as individual keyboard platforms and keyboard arms, providing multiple solutions for virtually any application.

“They may not be cool, but keyboard trays are a great ergonomic solution.”

Keyboard trays are a classic office fixture and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They may not be cool, but they are a great ergonomic solution that allow users to properly align their arms, wrists, and hands while typing.

We’re always striving to make ergonomics “cool” to help people everywhere work better and more comfortably. We get that keyboard trays are not necessarily the coolest, but it’s important to note how they can be useful and why they’ve stuck around.

Add Ergonomics to Any Desk

Stuck with a fixed height desk that isn’t the right height for you to work comfortably? Can’t get your elbows at a 90 degree angle with your keyboard on top of the desk? Keyboard tray to the rescue! Keyboard trays turn a fixed height desk into an ergonomic workstation in an instant. Most fixed height desks are too tall for shorter people or too short for taller people. The adjustable keyboard arm allows people of different heights to use standard, fixed height desks by simply moving the keyboard tray up or down for better ergonomic positioning of the arms and wrists.

Fight Carpal Tunnel and Other Hand/Wrist Ailments

Proper ergonomic positioning of the arms and wrists will help fight carpal tunnel and other musculoskeletal disorders of the hands and wrists. If you’re constantly working with your arms reaching or bending, or wrists at a stand angle, you’ll eventually develop discomfort in your wrists and hands, which if unchecked, could turn into a serious issue. Keyboard trays help workers fight off these ailments by achieving and maintaining proper ergonomic positioning and the ability to change positions when fatigue strikes.

Fit For Anyone

From the shortest person to the tallest, an adjustable keyboard tray lets you put the keyboard right where it belongs so it fits better to your body. A keyboard positioned too high or low can cause problems for your arms, wrists, hands. This is often the case when working at a fixed height desk. A keyboard tray makes any old desk work for anyone, no matter their height.

Find the Right Angle

By angling the keyboard tray up or down, you can keep your wrists in a neutral position. If you lean back in your chair as you type, you may want to angle the keyboard tray up, If you lean forward, you may want to angle to keyboard tray down, However you angle it, keep your wrists in alignment with your elbows.

Different Types of Keyboard Trays

There are a variety of keyboard tray options with different levels of adjustability. The most basic keyboard tray has a compact design where the mouse and keyboard are on the same platform and the entire tray is mounted to a keyboard arm, allowing you to push the tray under the desk, or pull it forward, adjust up and down slightly, and tilt the tray. Others will have a separate mouse tray that can slide side to side, forward or back, allowing you to have the mouse in a different position than the rest of the keyboard tray. Some will even have two mouse trays—right and left—to quickly and easily accommodate different users without having to use tools to change the mouse tray position. Finally, you have your extended range keyboard tray systems, which can create a sit stand workstation without a whole new desk.

No matter what you choose, adding an adjustable keyboard tray to your desk can drastically improve the ergonomics of your workstation, reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue, and help you work more comfortably. We get it; keyboard trays may not be cool, but they’re a quick and easy way to improve the ergonomics of any workspace!

Work environments are so vital to business success. I don’t mean the decor, equipment, and location (although, those things are important), but how people work together. Companies with a great culture can find better success because they’re more likely to retain valuable employees, attract top talent, and work more efficiently. When people are happy and can work well together, we can all get more done (and feel good doing it!).

The company culture at Workrite is the core of who we are, and how we drive business. The employees here are like family and we’re all dedicated to the work we do, which is why we’re able to do great work! Here are some ways company culture drives business and how you can help build a strong company culture that’s good for business and great for employees.

More innovation

When the culture of a company supports and empowers its employees, those people have the chance to explore new ideas and reimagine the possibilities of what they create. Something as simple as an open door policy for management allows people to bring their innovative ideas forward. When people are happy and supported by a strong self of belonging and camaraderie, they will naturally converse with colleagues and brainstorm new ideas together. The more we work together and support one another, the more innovative results we can bring to life.

Common values, goals, & mission

Getting the whole company on the same page, backing a single mission, helps align people not only to the tasks at hand, but the reason behind them. A company culture that is centered around a core set of values and specific goals, all geared toward a meaningful mission, gives the team a clear sense of direction. When people are working toward the same thing and understand their vital role in bringing it to fruition, everyone can work better together, driving business success.

Retention & recruiting

No one wants to work for a company with a bad (or non-existent) culture. Employees are more likely to stay with the company when they understand and support the mission and can work well within the team. A strong company culture provides a sense of belonging that keeps valuable employees around and can attract new talent. In recruiting, the company culture is increasingly the deciding factor for new hires. People want to know that they will enjoy coming into work everyday. Retaining long-term employees maintains an important wealth of knowledge and attracting top talent helps businesses grow and innovate.

Efficiency & productivity

A good company culture isn’t all about team-building activities, pot-lucks, or ping pong tournaments (although, we like all those things at Workrite); it’s about empowering people to work together to solve problems and produce quality work that backs up the company’s mission. Bringing people together (for work & play) helps us work more efficiently and be more productive. When we understand the company’s goals and feel like we’re part of something bigger, we are empowered to put in the work to drive that mission forward. A good company culture drives teamwork and focuses on the bigger picture, allowing people to work together toward a central purpose.

Culture should be the core of any company. It’s central to what you do and why you do it. It brings people together in support of a common mission and can improve teamwork, efficiency, and innovation. A good culture centers around empowering people, since after all, a company is the sum of its people. Building a strong company culture is the foundation for a future of employee satisfaction and business success.

Taking the leap from a standard, fixed-height desk to a workstation that allows you to sit and stand can be daunting. There are so many options to choose from. Do you want a sit stand desk that moves the entire worksurface up and down? Or do you want to keep your existing desk and add a standing desk converter as a retrofit sit stand solution? Either option is good, but let’s dive into what to consider when looking for a new ergonomic workstation.

Electric Sit Stand Desks

If you’re ready to give up your old desk, an electric sit stand desk (like Sierra HX) is the best option for optimal adjustability and it will maintain the same style and set up as your previous workstation. Just switch out one desk for another and you’re ready to go. You’ll have a reliable, fully adjustable ergonomic solution that’s so easy to use, you’ll really use it! A good electric sit stand desk will have a switch that allows you to program your sitting and standing heights to seamlessly move positions throughout the day.

Manual Sit Stand Desks

For spaces where access to an electrical outlet may be limited, or as a lower cost alternative, a manual sit stand desk (like Cascade Counterbalance) is another good option. You will have the same benefits as an electric sit stand desk as far as adjustability and maintaining the same workstation setup, without the need to plug in. One downside to manual sit stand desks is they’re not as easy to move as electric sit stand desks.

Desk Mounted Standing Desk Converters

Maybe you’re not ready to give up your fixed height desk, but you’re pretty committed to adding more adjustability and ergonomics to your workspace. Desk mounted standing desk converters (like Solace 2) are exactly what they sound like. They hold your monitor, keyboard, and mouse and mount to the desktop, allowing you to move your equipment up and down for sitting and standing positions. These are great for retrofitting a sit stand system, but keeping your desktop fairly clear.

Desktop Standing Desk Converters

If you want a simple, easy to install, and cost effective option, desktop standing desk converters (like Solace Desktop) are perfect. They sit on top of your existing desk, holding your monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and allowing you to sit and stand comfortably without having to change much about your workstation. Because these sit stand systems go on top of your desk, you may lose some usable desktop space. These systems are a good introduction to sit stand workstations so you can try it out and upgrade later.

Other things to consider

Whichever sit stand solution you choose, make sure it can be adjusted to your height and proportions. Some sit stand desks and standing desk converters are not suitable for everyone. They may not go low enough or high enough for your body to allow you to work comfortably. This ergonomic workcenter guide and the BIFMA guidelines at the bottom of that page will help you determine the height range you need.

Adding a keyboard tray or monitor arm to your sit stand system is another great way to add additional points of adjustability, and will allow you to change the position of your keyboard or monitor when you move between sitting and standing positions. Most standing desk converters come with keyboard trays and monitor arms, but make sure the system you choose can be adjusted at multiple points so you can properly fit your equipment to your body.

Once you decide on the sit stand solution that works best for you, check out our previous blog post to see how to set up your workstation, simply and ergonomically.

The phrase “work smarter, not harder” is everywhere, but for a good reason. We spend so much of our time working, but how much are we actually getting done? Working smart means being productive not just busy. If at the end of the day, all you’ve done is clean out your email (good for you, by the way!), was that really a productive use of your time?

Be Productive, not Busy

Smart workers and savvy employers are beginning to understand that being busy and being productive are very different. Productive employees are good for the business and are more satisfied with their jobs. They produce higher quality work in less time. Meanwhile, their busy counterparts are feeling overwhelmed, working really hard, but not working smart. Smart workers can also make use of technology to boost productivity.

Prioritize Yourself

Prioritizing yourself is the first step to working smarter. In order to be productive at work, you have to take care of your body, mind, and spirit. This means taking breaks often, getting plenty of sleep, and reducing stress. Some workers are so focused on working more and working hard that they allow their work to take away from their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The best thing you can do to get ahead at work is be healthy, happy, and focused (here’s some great tips to boost happiness at work and away).

Fix Your To-Do List

Next, you can prioritize your work tasks. If you have a mile-long to-do list, what is most important? What deadlines are approaching? Are any of these tasks unnecessary? Can they be completed by someone else? Whittle it down as much as you can. Each day, give yourself a handful of tasks to focus on, whatever is highest priority and can realistically be completed that day. There are lots of great online project management tools that can help you stay organized, and all that organization might help you get promoted.

Define Action Items

The to-do list is a powerful tool if you use it to your advantage. Each task you put on the list needs to be actionable. This means it is specific enough to be marked “done” when it’s done. If your list items are too broad, try turning them into actionable tasks. If you want to start a blog, for example, don’t just put “start blog” on your to-do list. Instead, you could say “write one, 800-word blog post today”. Want to take it a step further? Adding time limits to each task will help you stay on track and can even help you work faster.

Organize Your Work Day

Organizing your work day to ensure high productivity can be a challenge. We’re often interrupted by unexpected urgencies. We’re constantly checking email and getting push notifications on our phones and desktops. While multitasking may seem like a good idea, no one can do it well. If you try to do everything at once, you’ll end up doing a lot of things badly rather than doing one thing well. Turn off desktop and phone notifications and give yourself a few minutes each hour or two to check them. Odds are, those emails can wait until you’re at a good stopping point.

Take More Breaks

Chunk your tasks and take breaks often. You can customize this to your workload and personal schedule but try four stints of focused work separated by short (or long) breaks. For example, work for two hours, take a short walk around the building, work for two more hours, take your lunch break. Back at your desk for the afternoon, work for two hours, stop and do some stretches at your desk, work for two more hours, go home! All these breaks throughout the day may seem counterintuitive, as that’s time spent not working, but this is actually super valuable. Taking breaks lets you reset and refocus, which will make you more productive. For an overall healthier workday, check out these 10 healthy workday habits.

Prioritization is a great tool for getting more work done without wasting any time. Use these takeaways to get started working smarter today:

• Be productive, not busy
• Prioritize yourself
• Create an actionable, prioritized daily to-do list
• Cut out distracting time-sucks
• Chunk your work and take breaks in-between

Offices used to have a boring, predictable layout: a sea of cubicles or hallways lined with private offices. Workplace interior design was generally drab. The spaces were highly functional, but not interesting. Offices of the past did not attempt to increase employees’ happiness or productivity.

Now, office interiors are becoming more open, flowing, and fun. The adoption of huddle spaces and lounge-like coworking areas are slowly replacing stiff conference rooms and cubicles. The walls of private offices are coming down in favor of open office plans, while maintaining a focus on flexibility, privacy, and noise reduction.

Modern workplace interior design is not only more visually interesting, but can have a positive impact on behavior and mood. Human-centered design, natural lighting, greenery, and flexible layouts boost happiness, health, and productivity.

Creative Design

Interesting colors, textures, architecture, and furniture can boost creativity, which in turn boosts mood and motivation. This effect is increased when you have the ability to customize the aesthetics of your environment. Adding a piece of artwork or a photo that you find pleasing is great for your mood.

Lighting

Natural light (and lots of it) has been proven to increase productivity. Much like the effects of plants and greenery, warm sun-like lighting makes people happier. Large windows and skylights bring the outside in, minimizing the harmful effects of being cooped up inside for 8+ hours a day. Personal desk lights that use LEDs in a warmer tone allow people to personalize their space, providing light where and when they need it. This kind of lighting is also better for the company as it reduces energy costs by using light more efficiently.

Delegated Spaces

Modern office design includes a variety of spaces, giving people flexibility and choice. Multi-use environments that are functional and comfortable allow employees to change their scenery based on their own work style.

Relaxation

Workplaces are beginning to come around to the idea that employees need time and space to relax at work. While some are adding napping pods, others are simply creating lounging space that makes the office feel like a home.

Quiet

With an open office environment, things often get noisy. Providing quiet spaces for people to do deep work is imperative to maintain employee satisfaction and efficiency. Creating a culture that values privacy and quiet time will boost use of these space, making everyone feel welcome to choose the environment where they work best.

Collaboration

Conference rooms are slowly being replaced by interesting collaborative environments that feel more like your local coffee shop than your average office meeting area. Spaces like this encourage people to brainstorm and innovate, solving problems in creative ways.

Hot Desks

Activity-based work and shared workspaces allow employees the flexibility to change their working environment on-demand. Without assigned desks, people can move around freely, bringing the flexibility of remote work to the office. This setup works well for some people but not for everyone.

Ergonomics

Workstations that adjust and move to fit the worker are great for happiness, health, and productivity. Sit stand desks allow people to get more movement in their day, increasing health and energy. More energy makes people more engaged and productive. Ergonomic office furniture helps workers adjust their equipment to reduce fatigue and risk of injury, which allows them to be more productive. With office environments that are made for the humans that use them, employees and companies reap the rewards.

Technology

Modern office spaces have to constantly adapt to changing technology. As employees spend more of their time working remotely, the use of laptops in the office increases. As work becomes more digital, the workers’ physical space becomes more sparse and employees can freely move with just a laptop in hand. Technology in the office will continue to change, and work environments will have to change with it.