How a standing desk is improving my mood and my productivity

One of the changes to my workspace that I implemented in my home office this year is a standing desk, and I am very happy with it. Or, I should rather say, a workbench that pretends to be a desk.

It is a Husky 52-inch-long workbench from The Home Depot. I first discovered it in a video by Morgan Long, a Portland-based content creator. It has a sturdy metal frame and a solid wooden top.

Instead of an expensive motorized mechanism that allows the workbench to be raised, it has a hand crank to adjust the height manually. My daily routine consists of writing at the desk in the mornings and then switching to standing mode in the afternoons when I can no longer concentrate.  

This is how my morning and afternoon workspace set up look like:

While standing, I typically do emails and other shallow work tasks that need to get done but aren’t urgent. I crank the desk up, put on some music (Lofi Hip Hop channels are currently my favorite), and dim the lights. And this is where magic happens. Switching from sitting to standing is not only beneficial for my physical health and posture but, most importantly, it has also had a major positive impact on my mental wellbeing. This minor adjustment tricks my brain into believing that I’ve changed my work environment, giving me an extra dopamine boost, and improving my mood. I can’t help but move to the rhythm while I’m listening to music, which makes even the most mundane activities so much more enjoyable and something that I look forward to. The main advantage of this change, therefore, is ending my days in a way that makes me feel more relaxed rather than mentally worn-out.