Tag Archives: declutter

The Impact of a Stand Desk

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In my November note, I said there would be a piece on my new stand desk. Why did I do it? Fad? Physics? Productivity? Let me take you on a short journey…

My old office arrangement, even when I had cleared most of the clutter still looked, well . . .S's office after 4x6 (copy)

–  – cluttered.

I had recently finished working with a couple who worked from home.  She had build a rigid standing desk and loved it. He was building one for himself.  They were both enthusiastic for them. They had many positive things to say about them.  I became curious.

I saw a Kickstarter campaign to build a reasonably price standing desk that could be both – a sitting desk and a standing one. The campaign was very convincing – lots of studies extolling the benefits of a standing desk.

Research was needed.  

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Sitting is the new smoking.

What began as a curiosity has provoked a great deal of studious inquiry.  Results?

• Reduced risk of obesity

• Reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems

• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

• Reduced risk for many kinds of cancer

Wow! And that’s just what the Smithsonian Magazine reported. (March 26, 2014)

Sitting six hours a day ups he death rate by 20% for men, 40% for women!

That’s scary while some other research says otherwise, but the consensus indicates we should be standing/walking at least 2 hours a day and then work up to 4.

OK – I got into the Kickstarter campaign and got my desk a couple of months ago.

I had to rearrange my office.

Time to declutter.

Pounds and pounds of files into the trash, Scan others.

4 file drawers to 2.

Fewer printers, fewer everything.

And the result?

StandDesk up sm

What a difference!  Take a look just at the top:

StandDesk down SM

No, I don’t stand all the time, but I’m standing more and more and sitting less and less. I find not only has the simplification made me more focused, but much more productive.  I love the top – it’s bamboo, my favorite building material.

You can jerry-rig a standing desk for yourself and try it. I like mine because I can take it up or down, and stop it any place that suites me or my arms or my chair (all at the touch of a button.) A programmer friend just bought himself one that uses counterweights to go up or down. He has a bit of a weight problem, so this is going to be good for him as well! And a major client I just worked with we designed his office so not only could he have a standing desk, but combine it with a treadmill!

If you want to see the one I bought, (also because I support new companies) go to

https://www.standdesk.co/

If you do try one, or have one, what about sharing? Post a comment. And I’ll stand for it!

Oh – Happy holidays too!

Messy desk, messy mind?

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You’ve seen the plaque “A messy desk means Genius,” and we know the dictum that if you clear the clutter out, your Office Worker with Mountain of Paperworkthinking will be clearer and more precise.  So what’s the truth? If you want to believe one (that’s 1) published study, the findings said that those with a messy desk tended to be more creative. They also tended to produce fresh and new ideas. So there!

On the other side of the coin, those who kept their spaces neat and clean? clean deskThey were more likely to “do the right thing,” like eating a more healthy diet or making a charitable donation. Maybe that’s because they don’t have such a crowd in their head, so they can be a bit more generous to others and to themselves.

Conclusions? If you feel your productivity is down, try cleaning up your desk (like I am doing right now – so I have time to pass along this helpful tip.) Better yet, try stetting one of two new habits: 1) pick one day a week when you clean your desk. Or, 2) take ten minutes each day before you leave the office (home or otherwise) and clean up the desk, leaving it fresh and clear. You’ll find you start each day with an uncluttered mind – and that makes a difference!

PS – It’s good feng shui!

PPS – how you doing? Share your comments by clicking on the title. It will take you to the comments section.

Declutter Your Life – part 1

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Andrew and Gabriella Morrison are friends who are leaders in the tiny house movement. www.Tinyhousebuid.com. On part of their site is a cogent take on how one person (Dawn) decluttered her life. I thought it would be valuable to pass it along in bits and pieces.  So here’s the first part:

 I was particularly drawn to the idea that de-cluttering your stuff and your life helps to de-clutter your mind. Boy, does that sound good! It seemed like it might help and it certainly couldn’t hurt.

I thought that I would start with my clothes, but what I actually started with was clothesaccepting my present size. After many years of defining myself, in some ways, by my weight I have come to a point where I am happy to be me as I am. This process allowed me to let go of my old clothes. Previously I had numerous storage containers of smaller clothing, even underwear, (really??) in my closet and in storage (as if keeping them around would somehow change things). I don’t need them anymore so they went bye, bye! I even donated my vintage dresses that I had longed to fit into again. A couple years ago giving them away would have been unthinkable. Now I have about 10 days of clothes for cold weather and 10 days for spring, summer, and fall combined. Keeping a handful of cardigans works well through all the seasons. I do have a few “inspiration” clothes that are smaller and a few bigger maternity items in case I need them, but everything else fits.

The next task to conquer was decorations and knick-knacks. I am lucky in the fact that my husband doesn’t have a lot of personal possessions, mostly shared ones. When I told him I wanted to donate my personal stuff that I no longer used he was, for the most part, delighted. He had never understood why on earth I had so much crap to begin with. Getting rid of some of this stuff was easy, but certainly not all of it. I had suspected, but never really knew, the depth of emotions that some of these items invoked for me. Each gift reminded me of the giver on an emotional level, even if the item was no longer needed or wanted. I also realized that there were a few items that I had been holding on to in an effort to save that part of my past, refusing to let it go. Determined to live in the here and now I took photos of some of the things that I thought I had cherished (but were really holding me back) along with a few other sentimental items and let them go. I kept some things, but I let the past go. Perhaps I will never look at these photos; who knows. The important thing is that I made a commitment to live in the present.

I regularly teach an incredibly effective way to declutter your life. This story will be continued, but IF you are serious and would like to become part of a tribe who’s purpose is to declutter their lives, email me and let’s see what miracles can happen.

Info at creative-visions.co. Put Declutter my life in the subject line.