Have you tried to make your own standing desk?
Like so many IT professionals, I lead a mostly sedentary life. So I try to break up my eight hours of sitting at a desk each day by hitting the gym at lunchtime and going running (see MoneySavingExpert runs the marathon), but I’m pretty sure us humans weren’t made for sitting all day.
In my previous job I was lucky enough to have a motorised standing desk, which meant I could raise my desk up and allow myself to stand at work. This works great, so I wanted to build a similar setup for when I work from home.
But I wanted to do it without huge expense – I’ve seen some which cost over £200!
I searched online and found a how to build a standing desk guide on the Lifehacker website that some people in the US had used.
Naturally I tried it out myself, and found myself with a standing desk which only cost me £14.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
- A side table – £5.
- A shelf – £3.
- Two brackets – £6.
Total – £14
All of the parts I used come from Ikea, which is a steal if you have one close to home. To order online will usually cost an extra £9 for delivery, but obviously you can source the bits from elsewhere if you want to.
The assembly itself is pretty straightforward. The table comes flat-packed so you simply screw in the four legs. Then I placed the table onto my normal desk to give it height.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to work out what height you need your keyboard and mouse at. Then you can mount the shelf on the side of the table using the brackets and some screws (I had some spare lying around at home).
My standing desk cost me £14
Positive side effects
As well as having a fully-functioning standing desk, I’ve experienced a couple of positive side effects.
Firstly, I no longer suffer with lower back pain, which I’ve had for the past few years. It’s taken time to adjust to being on my feet for extended periods, but I’m now loving it.
Secondly, I feel more productive. When standing, I seem to have more of a natural desire to keep going. I guess it’s because it’s easy to switch off or ponder for a few minutes while sitting down.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete standing desk convert. But I like to have the option of using it and knowing that I haven’t forked out a fortune to do so!
What do you think about standing desks? Have you tried to make your own? Please let us know your opinions and share how you fared in the discussion below or in the forum.
