Repurpose Your Furniture: 3 Simple Standing Desk Ideas


As we forge ahead into our quarantine workflow, many of us continue to work from kitchen tables, dining rooms and spare bedrooms to adjust to our home offices due to the current climate. While settling into new work spaces, many of us haven’t considered the amount of time we have spent hunched over our laptops while putting our bodies in compromising positions for hours on end.

In our previous routines, we may normally frequent the break room to converse with a team member, visit a colleague a cubical away or huddle for an impromptu hallway meeting giving our bodies time to stretch. These days, we only move when nature calls or to grab a quick snack in between virtual meetings which may pose complications to our overall health. For many like myself, adjustable sit/stand desk units were left behind in company offices in exchange for portal office necessities during our transition to home offices. However, several weeks into our work from home routine, our necks and backs are getting a bit stiffer from sedentary behaviors that may lead to health risks, such as Sitting Disease.

As part of my isolation creation project last month, I dedicated a few moments to devise three simple standing desk alternatives using existing items around my house. By exercising my creative muscle, I slightly modified my furniture to alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day without spending a single dime.

Here are three simple standing desk alternatives that have worked for me which I’ve shared with my colleagues.

Option #1: Got a bookshelf?! Throw the books and the flower vases to the side and replace it with a laptop. Be sure to place your laptop at eye level and use a wireless keyboard and mouse to maintain alignment between your wrists and forearms.

Option #2: Who needs a chair when you’re already standing? A dining chair will give your laptop the leg up you need for additional height to work while standing to maintain good posture.

Option #3: As unconventional as this option may seem, virtually everyone has an ironing board. By far, it is my favorite option due to its portability throughout the house to ensure that I am near a window to capture a few sun rays while working. I added a step stool for additional height to prevent neck strain however a few stacks of books or reams of paper will do as well.

I hope this helps you think out of the box on how to re-purpose your existing furniture to maintain your health while #WFH. Other items that come to mind include working from your kitchen counter or from a high-top dining set to avoid sitting for extended amounts of time. 

 What other standing desk alternatives would you include?

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