I’ve been working full-time as an author for about six months now and it’s been an interesting transition. First I had to get into a routine. When you work from home it’s really easy to get distracted by other things: cleaning, cooking, that new book, or your husband who works shift work! I set myself weekly, monthly and quarterly goals to make sure I would achieve everything I want to achieve this year.
That also means that I spend a lot of hours sitting at my desk typing. My previous job was also a desk job, but I was constantly out of my chair, talking to people, going to meetings, doing audits etc. There was a lot more movement. So it wasn’t long into my author career before I began to get a sore back from sitting for eight hours at a time.
I had to get this resolved because there were only so many places around the house I could move to, but all were sitting anyway. So what I did was:
- I had an ergonomic assessment to ensure I had my computer in the right place and that my chair was suitable etc
- I set a timer to remind me to get up and stretch every hour
- I bought an adjustable table
I’m the most excited about the adjustable table which arrived last week. I’ve set it up at the right height so I can stand and type rather than sit. When 
my legs get tired, I can wind it back down and sit down. I’ve read a number of articles that standing is much better than sitting so hopefully this will help my back issues. It’s also really great that I don’t have to get up and down when I leave the room (particularly when I’m still sore from a day of sidecar riding!)
This is the start of my office renovation. I’m going to paint (if I can decide on a colour), change the curtains and paint my filing cabinet. (I found some great inspiration online and I’ve pinned it in Pinterest) Again there are so many interesting options that I need to figure out which way to go. I’ll let you know when it’s done!
I’ll also give you an update on whether the standing desk if everything I hope it will be! Let me know if you’ve got any suggestions for what needs to be in the perfect office in the comments below.
