Please Don’t Interrupt

Interruptions can be a nuisance, often disrupting the flow of conversation or thought. Understanding the impact and exploring ways to manage such intrusions can lead to more effective communication and enhanced productivity. Let's delve into the world of interruptions and their implications.

A task that’s interrupted takes 50% longer and has 50% more mistakes than an uninterrupted one

Interruptions – i.e. switching to a different, largely unrelated set of thought patterns – erase and scramble much of your previously loaded and nicely optimized brain state

• When you interrupt someone, on average it takes them 23 minutes to get back to the original task, plus up to 30 minutes to return to the flow state so they can be fully productive again
• About 80% of the time when a task is interrupted, the person will return to it that same day, but roughly 1 out of every 5 times you interrupt, you’ll actually cause them to stop all work on that task for the entire day

After Two Months of Daily GeekDesk Use

I’ve been using the GeekDesk for more than two months now, and I’ve grown to love it. It really does offer the best of both worlds.

• Why be forced to work in only one position when you can have variety every day?
• My preference depends on my energy level, my mood, and what type of work I’m doing.

Productivity Hacks

Activate a focused state of mind

• Use a timer trick to get more done
• Prime yourself to finish early
• Studies suggest that people who stand all day for their jobs are healthier in some areas, but in other areas they’re less healthy than those who sit all day.

Use Your Own Desktop

The GeekDesk can be purchased with a few different types of desktops, but you can also buy the frame separately and add your own desktop

• Attach your desktop to the GeekDesk frame with the included wood screws
• If you want something fancier, you can use Google to find pics of other desktops people have used

Part-time Standing Work

Sometimes I’d much rather do my work sitting down.

• I thought about putting two separate desks in my home office, one for standing and one for sitting, but I didn’t like the idea of having to move things around or buy duplicates.

First Impressions

At first, it took a while to get used to doing standing work. After a couple days, I was up to 45-60 minutes per standing session.

• I have settled into doing standing sessions for 2-4 hours at a time usually, but sometimes I may only work standing for an hour.

Alternatives

If money is tight, try and find a way to approach what the GeekDesk does.

• One option is to get a standing desk only (standing desks are significantly cheaper than adjustable desks), and use it with an elevated chair (e.g. a draftsman’s chair) as an elevated barstool.

GeekDesk

Adjust its height with the push of a button, anywhere from 23″ to 49″ off the ground

• There are four programmable preset buttons, so once you figure out a height you like, you can save it for future recall
• The GeekDesk is extremely stable, so even if you have a full glass of water on the table while changing heights, you never worry that it might spill

Assembly

Everything was well-packaged and easy to follow

• The only issue I had with the assembly was that the instructions said to screw the frame to the desktop using the provided wood screws
• One tip for adjusting the GeekDesk for standing computer work: Set the height of the desk such that your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle (forearms parallel to the floor) while you are typing

Source