Along with all the other calls for "taking control of your audio input with headphones" and such, I must suggest one of the most effective things I ever tried: Stand up.
Most if not all cubicle desks are latched into the vertical. Put them at 44 inches, or whatever is comfortable for you, and get a bar-stool style chair. Adjust the so you can comfortably work standing up, and sitting down, or with your butt half on the chair, whatever is most comfortable at that moment.
The human spine evolved for movement, walking, not sitting for long periods of time. This setup allows you to adjust your position constantly, exercising your lower back, legs, etc.
Of course, being in a Japanese company means that I don't get to have a cubicle to work with for the forseeable future myself, and I can really feel the difference.
So try the most ergonomic position of all. Stand up for yourself!
Alternativly, sometimes instead of sitting on my chair I stand on my knees in from of the computer. Works for me, though it can only be done for so long.
I've been wanting to try one of those egronomic chairs where you put your knees/shins on one pad and your butt on another angled at approximately 45 degrees - seem them? Tried them?
Yeah, I used a kneeling chair for a couple of years, am going to get a new one shortly. I found it very very good, my back felt great and I wasn't as tired. My back is especially important as I am a front-row player[*] (prop actually, it's a position where your back gets a lot of pressure), so I had to be very careful with it.
I had 2 problems with the chairs:
1. Your shins can get a lot of weight on them sometimes depending on the way you have it angled, try to get it 35% shins, 65% ass: that's a lot mroe[**] comfortable:)
2. The crossbar with wheels on the back of my chair broke off after about 2 years of use. It was a relatively cheap chair, wooden with 2 index-finger sized pins holding the bar on - they snapped through the wood holding them (ok, so I am a prop, but a small one)...
Cheers,
Al.
Link: http://www.sitincomfort.com/kneechairs.html
* The game is "rugby", for all you white-skinned bearded people - think of it as American football for real men;)
** I bet I'm not the only person with alias mroe='more' in their rc:)
Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only
specification is that it should run noiselessly.
Stand-up work area. Really! (Score:4, Interesting)
Most if not all cubicle desks are latched into the vertical. Put them at 44 inches, or whatever is comfortable for you, and get a bar-stool style chair. Adjust the so you can comfortably work standing up, and sitting down, or with your butt half on the chair, whatever is most comfortable at that moment.
The human spine evolved for movement, walking, not sitting for long periods of time. This setup allows you to adjust your position constantly, exercising your lower back, legs, etc.
Of course, being in a Japanese company means that I don't get to have a cubicle to work with for the forseeable future myself, and I can really feel the difference.
So try the most ergonomic position of all. Stand up for yourself!
Bob-
Re:Stand-up work area. Really! (Score:2)
Alternativly, sometimes instead of sitting on my chair I stand on my knees in from of the computer. Works for me, though it can only be done for so long.
Re:Stand-up work area. Really! (Score:2)
Kneeling chairs (Score:1)
I had 2 problems with the chairs:
1. Your shins can get a lot of weight on them sometimes depending on the way you have it angled, try to get it 35% shins, 65% ass: that's a lot mroe[**] comfortable
2. The crossbar with wheels on the back of my chair broke off after about 2 years of use. It was a relatively cheap chair, wooden with 2 index-finger sized pins holding the bar on - they snapped through the wood holding them (ok, so I am a prop, but a small one)...
Cheers,
Al.
Link: http://www.sitincomfort.com/kneechairs.html
* The game is "rugby", for all you white-skinned bearded people - think of it as American football for real men
** I bet I'm not the only person with alias mroe='more' in their rc