August 28th will be my one year anniversary at my current job. When I started it I had been working on a farm and I was really nervous about sitting at a desk all day. I've learned a lot along the way about how to make it tolerable so I thought I'd share.
1. Everyone says this but it really makes a difference. Ensure that your workspace is ergonomically sound. Even the slightest head tilt towards a screen on a daily basis can really mess up your life. It's worth taking care of this in your first week on the job. Some workplaces have a designated person that can come in and make sure your setup is solid. Others will hire someone to come in and do it for you. If you're not that lucky, there are a lot of resources online. Remember that your employer is responsible for making your workplace work for you. If you need a keyboard tray or a new screen or whatever, they should most definitely pay for it and you should not feel guilty about asking.
2. Sit on a stability ball. They aren't expensive and they make sitting a lot more tolerable. And, when your back hurts, you can lay back on it with your arms out for an incredible upper back stretch. I often get made fun of for my ball, but never by anyone with better abs than me. : )
3. If you're having a bad day, go run some errands and force yourself to be incredibly nice to everyone you interact with. At least in Boston, it isn't that common for people to be super nice so, when you are, people are psyched and tend to be super nice back. When people smile or are friendly back at you it helps you forget about your nasty ass co-worker or the 700 TPS reports on your desk.
4. Exercise is your friend. Unless you can run outside during lunch, getting a gym membership close to your office is totally worth the expense. If you're not a morning person, work out during lunch. It can help avoid the mid-afternoon energy crash and it'll help you feel like an accomplished bad ass for the rest of the day. Plus, working out at night can interfere with your body's sleep cycle. Just don't do it.
5. When you work at a desk you're supposed to get up every 30 minutes. There are a lot of fun, small yoga moves you can do in your office when you get up. This is a good start. Eagle arms (pictured below) is also great. I can recommend more if you're interested.
6. If you get a lunch break take it, always.7. Try to never look at an e-mail more than once. If it contains a task or ask, either deal with it right away, or add it to you to do list. Then file that e-mail in the appropriate folder. Outlook, G-mail and, I imagine all e-mail clients, allow you to make folders for "admin", "events," etc. Doing this will help you keep your inbox clean and prevent important stuff from getting lost in your inbox.
May the Force be with you.
Are you also a desk job warrior? Leave your tips and secrets in the comments section below.
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