Got the idea for this post from a picture sent to me by my brother… It was a unique desk arrangement he’d set up for his son. Apparently, my precocious nephew would often wake up in the middle of the night with the compulsion to get online and check this, play that, or research the other. So, to make it optimally easy to have that happen, this setup was born…
Now, he literally has to just roll over in bed, and he’s at his keyboard… Hmmm. Gets you thinking, no? Nah, probably not. We sit on our fat butts enough as it is in what we do. To not even have to get out of bed at all and still be able to do our jobs just seems to be giving entropy more of a helping hand than it really requires… Still.
In any case, I got to thinking about all those cool little ideas we’ve all come across to make our commercial freelancing writing lives a little easier, more comfortable, less stressful, etc.
A few months back in the E-PUB, I talked about (and highly recommended) the Nada-Chair, this nifty thingy I’ve used for years, that makes sitting for long stretches far more comfortable than any expensive chair I’ve ever come across. Looks strange, but it works. Here’s me wearing it…
No smart remarks, please… 😉
Then, a few weeks back, a friend of mine sent me an ingenious idea for keeping all your electronics cables in place and from falling on the floor. No explanation necessary as her picture was truly worth a thousands words…
Smart, eh?
Then there was the “Treadmill Desk” idea one reader sent me. This one has real potential. And this guy is turning it into a cottage industry…
Finally, a few years back, I think I shared a very cool Internet radio station through iTunes called Jet City Lounge, which, for me anyway, makes for wonderful background music. Cool, smooth, nice beat, non-intrusive, and I’m one unbelievably productive commercial writer while it’s running – like now, for instance.
From iTunes, go to Radio, then Ambient, then “Groovera Presents Jet City Lounge”. Or just listen on the web. And if JCL doesn’t float your boat, there are countless others in dozens of channels – all free.
Anyway, so let’s have a little fun here. Send me your ideas (and feel free to include links and pictures). And here are the rules: ONLY stuff like the above; only ideas related to ergonomics, aesthetics, functionality, atmosphere, etc. ONLY stuff related to our physical environment.
NO web-based writing/networking/business resources, software, social media platforms (doesn’t it seem like they multiply like rabbits?), books, etc. Also, I welcome any life philosophies you’ve incorporated into your commercial copywriting work life that have made a big difference for you…
What gadgets and gizmos do you swear by?
What things have you put in place in your physical environment that you just can’t live without?
What fun, cool, smart tips for maximizing your physical productivity, comfort, and office atmosphere have you come across?
What work/lifestyle philosophies have you adopted that “frame” how you approach work, and that improve the quality of your life?
Want to be a guest blogger on TWFW Blog? I welcome your contribution to the Well-Fed writing community! Check out the guidelines here.
Hi Peter,
I love laptops for their portability, but I hate their ergonomics. So while working in my home office I swear by the mStand (https://raindesigninc.com/mstand_ergonomics.html) and this little bluetooth keyboard (https://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/B?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg). Besides that, I try to stand up as much as possible and work.
Nice cord management idea!
Best regards, Mike
The cords management idea is the kind of improvising genius I feel obligated to tell everyone I know about! I’d been using velcro…
No need to give details on that now.
Thanks for the post.
The minute I bought a second monitor, my productivity quadrupled. Seriously, if I’d known how much more productive I can be when I have two screens instead of one, I’d have done this years ago.
Also, totally agree about background music improving productivity as well. I like Pandora — I jump between the solo piano radio station, the jazz radio station, and occasionally opera for a little dose of high energy (try it — it’s actually very cool to write to, and I’m definitely not an opera fan). The key to any music, of course, is the music can’t have words.
Interesting comment about the second monitor Beth; I really must get one. Don’t like background music though, I’m afraid.
In my case, my main productivity aid is a window to look out of now and again (but only onto a quiet street, so not too many distractions). So much nicer than being in some office cubicle. In fact a quick self-reminder of the many advantages of working from home is pretty inspirational.
As regards physical comfort, one of those cheap flexible wireframe things that fits down the back of my office chair has made more difference to my back than any amount of osteopathy/stretching/postural exercises
I absolutely love my Herman Miller Aeron chair, which I bought second-hand from a company that went out of business during the dotcom crash. It’s particularly nice during the heat of Phoenix summers, since you’re supported by a breathable stretchy fabric rather than cushions.
That wire management system is clever! (I’m Mr. Ziptie, personally.) And on the subject of wires (or lack thereof) I’m happy with my bluetooth keyboard and mouse, though they chew through batteries and seem to go dead at inconvenient moments.
Life philosophy? I’ll go with Spinal Tap: “Have a good time…all the time.”
I am still laughing at the ‘treadmill desk’ idea. While it has some appeal (killing two birds with one stone), it would make it tough to actually answer the phone!
Regarding background music: This contradicts what Beth said about how background music shouldn’t have any words, but I listen to streaming old-time radio mysteries while I work. They lull me into this very relaxed place and somehow I can tune out the actual content while writing. The downside is that sometimes I forget to turn off the streaming radio and it plays throughout the night. So my husband wakes up to use the bathroom and can’t figure out why he’s hearing people talking in my office!
Does that Nada thing come with a very strict woman? (I never do what I’m told, have you noticed?)
PS I do use an old-fashioned typing stand–so old-fashioned it has a newsboy on it holding out a paper. Man! Times have changed. I also had a timer so I would get up more often and bend my poor knees–but I lost the timer…I thought a small timer would be neat. It wasn’t.
Peter, as usual this post is SO timely. I must say I’ve been incredibly lazy getting my “ergonomics act” together. And I’m paying for it.
Often — and currently– my neck and shoulder hurts (right side only for some reason), and my right hand and wrist stays sore even when I’ve had time off.
I’m going to look into the chair options you all have shared. Will those help with my hand? If not, I’d love to hear what gadgets are out there for that problem.
Thanks, everyone!
Good stuff. Thanks, Mike, for the links. Based on the philosophy behind the mStand, I raised my monitor up about 3-4 inches p (I have a Mac laptop, but use a full-size external keyboard and a large external monitor), and while it’s too early to tell, the new height feels more correct than it was. I’m forced to sit up straighter, and that’s a good thing!
And yes, Nikki, the cords thing is pretty nifty… and low-budget, to boot… 😉
So, Beth, at the risk of sounding dense, explain how the second monitor makes such a difference (i.e., how you put it to use). Is it about more easily switching back and forth between projects? Or back and forth between two screens you need for one project? All the above?
And I’m the same as you: I can’t have vocals in my music as I’m working; has to be instrumental. Only exception is if it’s in a foreign language, and one I don’t know some of…;)
And yes, Peter, I have the window to look out of as well – just nice enough to let me know it’s a beautiful day out there (or that it’s NOT, in which case I don’t feel like I’m missing anything…). And I tried those mesh gizmos you talk about, but they were too flimsy for me – I needed more support. My Nada-Chair still is the best thing I’ve found…
Thanks Jake – definitely seen the Aeron chair, but doesn’t do the job for me. I’m afraid they haven’t invented my chair yet… 😉
And no, Star, no strict woman with the Nada-Chair… Just my own inner slave-driver…;)
And yes, Susan, the Treadmill desk – pretty wild concept. That one keeps coming back to me – might have to give it a whirl sometime. And what an…oddly unusual choice of background audio. The sheer variety of taste out there boggles the mind. But, hey, whatever gets the job done…
Mele, might your hand and wrist thing be the first signs of carpal-tunnel? Hope not. It may just be the positioning of your hands. I have a few friends who swear by those split keyboards, but they always felt totally foreign to me. Again, too each his own…
PB
Very timely, as I’m writing a huge report based on interviews with corporate real estate executives from Google, IBM, Microsoft and other high-tech firms; they’re talking about the future of technology. I’m reading one’s view that laptops and desktops will go the way of the typewriter, and handheld devices with limitless memory, plus voice and video capabilities, will replace them. Another says these devices will be “paper-thin.”
Good grief. I can’t see voice taking the place of edited text, and I’ll hold on to my ergonomic keyboard (yes, that Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000, the Mercedes of keyboards) until they pry it out of my cold, dead — but pain-free — hands.
Perhaps there will be a cottage tech industry simply holding things about where they are now (but adding larger type so eyes over 40 can read the darn things).
I’m glad PB asked first.
I’m a little lost on the two-monitor method too, Beth.
My guess is that there is some way to configure it where you can open certain windows on the screen of your choice.. ?
That’s really the only advantage I could think of. Forgive my limited tech-savvy. Enlighten me please 🙂
Hi again!
Nikki, for the second monitor, if you’ve got two monitors already hooked up to your computer, the settings are easy to adjust. (I’m a PC, so it may be different on a Mac.) From anywhere on your desktop screen, right click. Click on Personalize, and then Display Settings. Alternatively, you can go to your control panel, click on Appearance and Personalization, then Personalization, then Display Settings, to get to the same place.
This Display Settings screen should show you two monitors. From here, you can select one monitor to be the main monitor, and select to “Extend the desktop” onto the other monitor. You can also tell the computer if the second monitor is on the right or the left of the main monitor.
With this first/second monitor setting, just like it sounds, one monitor is the main monitor; this is where your toolbars and widgets and everything else on your desktop will show up. By default, when you open an application, it will be visible on this monitor. But the beauty is that you can drag any open window onto the second monitor, and you can have those windows open simultaneously — so that you can view two open applications without having to toggle back and forth.
For example, I have my main monitor right in front of me, and my laptop immediately to the right of the main monitor. As I’m typing right now, I have Firefox opened on my main monitor and my control panel opened on the laptop monitor. This means I can see how I’ve got my display settings configured while I’m typing this response, so I don’t have to click back and forth between tabs.
To Peter’s question, I use this primarily for having multiple screens open while working on a project, rather than switching between projects. Specifically, I use the two screens a TON when I’m editing. A client might email me feedback on a first draft, and I can open the email in one screen and open the document in the second, making it very easy to make the edits without having to print out the comments and then make the edits or having to toggle back and forth between the comments and the document. It’s also incredibly helpful if I’m doing research while I’m writing. I can have a document AND a web browser open and visible at the same time. Or I can open and view two Word documents simultaneously. Etc., etc.
This whole setup might not sound terribly revolutionary, but it consistently shaves a few minutes here and there off the time I need to complete a task, and by the end of the day, those minutes all add up. 🙂
Hope this helps!
I’d never refer to my chiropractor as a gadget, but having him adjust my hands along with the rest of me has been surprisingly helpful. I tend to rest my hand on the mouse even when I’m not using it which can make for a long day of being curled up for my fingers. Amazing how those unconscious habits affect us physically over time, huh?
I swear by the split keyboard. I have cysts on both hands that slide back and forth under the tendons (I know, TMI) and get irritated by typical typing, so years ago I tried the split keyboard. Now I can’t live without it. My cyst problem no longer exists.
The split keys keep your hands in a fairly static position with virtually no back and forth motion. There’s also a wide wrist rest. It does take a few days of getting used to, but now I type like the wind (90+ wpm) and find flat, straight, laptop keyboards extremely cumbersome.
Thanks Beth! Your instructions were so thorough. I can see how that saves time. I keep so many windows open on my laptop; I’ll definitely be looking for a good deal on a second monitor.
I do fine with standard keyboards. No wrist pain or anything, but that 90 wpm caught my attention! If less hands movement translates into improved typing speed with the split keyboard, I’m thinking I should give it a try.
Thanks Beth,
I second Nikki’s comment: your explanation of the benefits of two monitors was amazingly complete! I can absolutely visualize it. I’ll check it out! AND, I may want to use part of your write-up as a tip in the E-PUB at some point… 😉 I’ll be in touch down the line!
And thanks, Molly, for weighing in on the split keyboard as well. Molly’s a good friend of mine here in Atlanta, and spends a lot of time in front of her computer (and has for years), so she knows a lot of tricks. One thing she does that she didn’t mention, is very intriguing. She has her monitor turned vertically (like a portrait orientation vs. landscape).
Her thinking is that it’s only logical. You’re typing pages that are, in the end, portrait orientation. Doesn’t it make sense to have your screen in the same position? Which allows more of the typed page to show in your window without scrolling down. Never seen anyone else do that, but it does make sense. Molly, did I explain that adequately? Anything else you want to add?
And thanks Mary (nice to hear from you!). I too, love seeing my chiropractor, but never thought too much about getting my hands done. Next time I’m in, I’ll get ’em done.
Thanks Karen – another vote for the split keyboard. It always seemed awkward to me when I tried it, though anything new will, I suppose. Mele, perhaps it might be an answer for your wrist issue. Worth looking into.
Anyone else?
PB
Beth, I have a second monitor sitting right here with the PC I recently replaced. Now I’m seriously considering putting it to work because your explanation of the benefits makes perfect sense — and it sounds so easy to set up!
Peter, I also recently replaced my old split keyboard. Even though I was familiar with the layout, it still took a few days to regain my speed and accuracy. I should think the split would alleviate a wrist problem because the wrists stay straight. They have to twist slightly outward to type on a standard keyboard, which can cause problems.
I do get a lot of pain in my right forearm from using the mouse, but typing for extended periods never gets uncomfortable.
Yes — should have mentioned the vertical/portrait orientation of the monitor. In fact, it’s a “portrait monitor” (comes with software built in) and there aren’t many of them made. Mine is a Gateway, and I’ve had it for YEARS! I’m talking at least 10 — and I still love it. (Plus, it doesn’t use up as much desk real estate; it’s like a high-rise!)
It’s really a shame that everything else in the monitor world is horizontal (obviously a great fit for merging one day seamlessly with TV), but the horizontal scroll bar is just as easy to use as the vertical; I just don’t think I need it as often as I would the vertical.
As Peter said, you’re usually working on vertical-page-oriented documents, and it’s great to see a page from head to toe, so to speak, in its actual size. Another bennie: your e-mails seem endless (wait, is that a benefit?) because you see so many of them at once. To me, it’s simply a more natural view.
So, pretty much my desk looks like an ergonomic freak show. Natural split keyboard. Portrait monitor. And for my mental health, a heavy-duty (AND ergonomically shaped, as the sides are angled) “inbox” specifically purchased to hold a 16-pound cat.
LOL. Too funny, Molly. Oh, DO send us a picture of your desk (preferably with cat in place), will you? We could all learn from you…;)
PB
Peter — I’d be delighted!
Well, Molly obliged us with a picture of her “ergonomic freakshow” of a desktop, complete with vertical monitor, split keyboard, and yes, the 16-pound cat in the in-box. Love it! Enjoy… (just click the picture for a larger image…)
PB
My favorite gadget is a bit lower on the tech scale… it’s an AlphaSmart Neo. (https://neo-direct.com/default.aspx) It’s a typing machine with a six line screen… and best of all, no internet, which really keeps me focused. All it does is type. I understand that kids use it for typing classes. (Better than the Selectric I used.) It holds up to eight files of what I know is not unlimited text (although for practical purposes, it is.) Once you’re done with a document – usually my first draft of anything – then it USB’s to your primary machine for editing. The keyboard is very good, too. The battery life is incredible. I’ve had it for three years and changed the three AA batteries once. No boot time at all. Turn it on an go.
…Matt
‘Love the cat bed, Molly. Gotta get one for mine.
Yup, we’re sisters in keyboards. Wish I had room for a cat inbox. Mine like to sit/walk on the keyboard so I’m constantly blowing fur out of it. Fur was probably what finally gummed up my old keyboard.
I have a Logitech trackball that works equally well with either hand. This allows me to switch from hand to hand, which helps keep one or the other from getting carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive-motion injuries.
Just yesterday I was contemplating moving my office furniture around, where my desk would no longer back up to a wall. But I couldn’t think of a good solution for the mess of cords involved w/ two machines & and too many monitors. That clip idea is absolutely brilliant!
Great idea, Peter.
Here are my four contributions:
First, I keep an old wine bottle next to my computer. (No plastics in my water, and much cheaper than a steel bottle.) Because I drink copious amounts (of water), I’m regularly ‘rising to the occasion.’ That ensures I’m well hydrated, and I’m never sitting for too long.
Second, I quartered a conventional mousepad, stacked the pieces, and then sewed them together. I rest my ‘mouse-wrist’ on that, and am much happier for it.
Third, I use the free countdown timer widget made by baldgeeks.com (mac only, but I’m sure there are a ton of PC doppelgangers out there). When I have multiple projects, this timer keeps my work varied; when one project’s time is up, I switch the next.
Fourth, I use OS X’s ‘spaces’ feature to keep MS Word separate from my internet browser (‘Woot’ for Chrome!). I keep textedit open full screen behind MS Word, so there’s literally nothing in view behind the document I’m working on. When I want the internet, I just hop back to the other space (I only use two spaces, can’t imagine keeping track of more). That separation -and ease of switching- is new to me, and very useful.
PS – That wire-clip idea is genius!
Matt, I didn’t know anyone else out there still had an AlphaSmart! Mine’s a Dana.
With no connectivity, it is great for those days when the Internet is just too distracting. Very portable too; lighter than a laptop.