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Every day at 3pm I was hit with back pain and fatigue. Coffee didn’t help. Lots of stretching didn’t help.
I consulted the ergonomics department at Disney about creating a sit/ stand workstation and I’ve been in love with it since the day we set it up. I used to sit all day, hunched over my Cintiq and now I stand pretty much all day, every day.
My back pain has been alleviated and I stay more focused throughout the entire day. It keeps me energized throughout the day AND I’m burning calories the entire time!
Since I recorded an episode of Chris Oatley’s ArtCast mentioning this, many people have expressed interest in seeing exactly what my streamlined setup looks like…
I can’t post a photo online due to Disney’s “closed set” policy but I’ve drawn a diagram (above) to help you get an idea of what my workspace is like.
I work at a very tall desk, which needed a little extra boost due to my height.
The woodshop built some risers for it, so that when I stand completely straight and have my arms bent at a 90° angle my forearms rest flat on the surface of the desk or Cintiq, depending on which tools I’m working with.
At home, I use an IKEA table top with adjustable legs because the desk itself doesn’t need to be anything fancy to achieve great results. Ikea Sit/ Stand Desk: Legs :: Top
I use a Comfort Crown Anti-Fatigue Floor Mat to keep my legs from getting exhausted. I stand pretty much all day, every day. (I get a 6-8% commission if you order through my Amazon link!)
I occasionally clear all the clutter off my chair (coat rack) and sit for an hour or two – but not very often. I highly recommend standing while you work!
Check out my entire audio explanation of the workstation in ArtCast #50 :: Digital Comics, Ergonomics & How To Deliver Every Time.
