Building a Productive Enviroment

I've been thinking about productivity, and have embarked upon a personal experiment to see what I can do to improve mine. While I've managed to get quite far with my existing set-up (rMBP) and it's served me well over the past few years, I feel constrained with daily work... and unable to reach higher goals.

To start with I'm exploring the physical work environment - the space that I spend most of my life at - and seeing how I can use it to enhance my productivity. I want to improve ergonomics, efficiency, capability, imagination, execution and morale!

I'd like to hear what you guys think of your own work environments - what's good about them and what's bad. Meanwhile I'll leave this sneak peak:

 

I dig having green plants around. And my cat, though that's not very beneficial to my productivity.

I really need to buy a proper office chair, though. I'm sitting on a kitchen chair from IKEA. Any recommendations (besides Herman Miller)?

 

Sure, though that was going to be a different post I've sat in every chair at my local officeworks and the only one that I even remotely liked was the Hummingbird Le Mans Racer which I have in white (also comes in blue and red) for my wifes pleasure. I've also had the Bathurst before, but it doesn't sit as nicely in my back.

That said, it's only rated for 3~5 hours use at a time (whatever that means) - and I have terrible posture problems and probably couldn't tell a good chair if it hit me in the backside. It does take some construction - a bit of brute force to get the various pieces to fit (tools, screws and instructions provided) - but once you're done it holds well.

I'll keep having plants in mind, sounds very relaxing

 

I find I'm more productive in the daytime with lots of natural lighting.

I've been curious about standing desks, or a setup where I can switch between sitting and standing..

 

I just finished up a year+ of using a standing desk. At first I couldn't believe the difference. It felt great. Totally refreshing, I had room to move around, dance at my desk if I wanted to, less confined.

After about 6 months I started noticing my productivity was dropping. I spent less and less time working on my projects, because standing there all day staring at a computer screen frankly became just as tiring as sitting there all day staring at one. And in some cases worse. My legs would get sore after only a few hours, but I would push through. I also noticed that I didn't work on music anywhere near as much as I used to. I was supposed to be working on a new album for the past year but I pretty much let it slide. Standing there on tired legs all day does a number on creativity.

Eventually (just last week actually) I'd had enough. I moved everything to a sit-down desk and here I am. It's a little weird getting used to sitting again but I'm pretty sure this is how I want to work from now on. It feels like my brain has more room for creative expression since it no longer has to focus so much on keeping my legs upright through 14 hour work days.

A sitting\standing combo would have been ideal, but I went for full-on standing. Your mileage may vary. For me, I'm sitting down from now on.

 

Many things are good in moderation. Those who try to work strictly standing end up with knee and ankle problems often times. Convertible desks are great because you can trade off between a standing and sitting environment. Unfortunately they're also very pricey.

 

This pretty much sums up my experience with standing desks as well. I moved back to sitting and try to move about the house more. I have installed a pullup bar in my door frame and I try to get out and ride my bike when I need to air out my brain.

 

Multiple monitors and a very comfortable chair are generally the key to a productive workspace.

 

When I was working from home I just took breaks and took short bike rides every couple hours. Now that I'm back in an office I just stop about every hour and a half and go for a walk. If it's winter and cold / snowy or bad weather outside I walk around the building. When it's nice (as it is now) I walk outside. It's amazing too how a short walk can make you feel refreshed and get those creative juices going again. Even us programmer nerds need those creative juices for problem solving.

 

There is a little cable in the corner of this picture. It appears to be the one connecting you to the internet, and thus the forums. Cut is My most productive times are when the net is down, or there are no interesting topics to reply to on the forums.

I am only a hobbyist. At the best I can only put together two or three hours of coding in one go. So take these comments with a grain of salt, its probably not the best for long hours of productivity. But my best productive environment is on the couch in my PJs. An alternative location is in bed, normally with my wife watching movies next to me. So for a while my background soundtrack was Game of Thrones, now I believe its Grimm.

 

I have been considering a sitting/standing combo desk. Recently, it seems I have been having back issues, probably due to sitting too much. It is so hot here in the summer, that I tend to stay inside and not get enough exercise. I figured standing at least part of the time would help. I wonder if it would be tough on my legs and feet though.

 

Sometimes back problems are from having the wrong chair rather than just sitting in general. I have literally hurt/damaged my back over the years using cheap office chairs. I currently use an IronHorse chair, and I am very productive with it.

 

I'm currently sitting on my drum throne. When I switched to a standing desk I got rid of my old, comfy chair. Now that I'm back to sitting I need a new one, but haven't got one yet. Until then, the drum throne will have to suffice. Maybe I can figure out a way to hook up a snare, kick, and hi-hat to my desk, and I'll have a kick-ass drum\dev-workstation combo. Now we're talking.

 

I did get a new chair, and that helped a lot. But still having some issues.

Sounds fun, Ony!

 

Sounds like a few of you (us?) could use a dxracer. The chair reclines 170 degrees and has a swivel mount for your computer / wireless keyboard so you can work at any angle. It also appears that those 2 things are finally both available at the same time. Unfortunately, the mouse arm is now suddenly not available. This chair and its accessories are always high in demand and running out of stuck...

 

I note the discussion about standing/sitting desks - I've not used either so I can't compare. But I'd like the ability to try each. Oh and Ony I want to see a photo of that setup - get to it!

Additional requirements for a desk is that it is high (I find many desks for sale I cannot sit comfortably under, I need apparently abnormally high thigh clearance), sturdy, uncluttered and with plenty of legroom (I hate the struts that catch you in the shins!).

Apparently this is a pretty hard combination to get - I've looked at desks up to $500 locally at office-works, super-amart, bunnings (got a useful adjustable plastic folding desk, but uneven surface is uncomfortable) and even second hand furniture stores to no avail. So I need something different. I need shelves...



May I present the Rack It modular shelving system available at Bunnings. Each piece is adjustable and comes in several dimensions - e.g. the legs come in at 900mm, 1800mm (present) and 2100mm. It's a solid construction that's easy to put together - though fitting in the plywood did take a pocketknife and a rubber hammer. I have installed a rubber slip pad to each foot to protect the tiles.

All up this is about $130 - which is very cheap compared to desks in my market. They do offer an actual 'desk' kit as well, but that was $180 and used short legs.

What I love about this desk - other than the fact it's a perfectly simple solid work-bench is that it's very adjustable to your work environment - you can already see me using magnets to hold important and inspirational documents at arms reach. At whim I can add draws, mini shelves (off the side of the legs, inside or outside!), more crossbeams, hooks, another shelf or even another leg off the side to extend it width-ways (e.g. for wife or printer). And of course, I can raise and lower the table (albeit with some effort) to suit a standing or sitting style.

I'm not to keen on the plywood as a working surface - It's rough to the touch and it does absorb water to its detriment - so may address that later on.

The keen observer may notice some objects on the desk - more on that next time

 

@BoredMormon I can relate to you a little too much - hence why I'm doing this build! I've worked far too long on only a rMBP and have had enough of sore back, mild RSI in the right hand and constant tiredness. My internet is actually appallingly bad, but we're just getting fiber installed. Of course, I'll only be able to enjoy it for a few months tops before we likely move on

@ShilohGames if this chair doesn't work out then I know what to look at I agree about multiple monitors, I'm missing the days where I used to stare bleak and bleary at two 17" crt's!

 

I've been using a sit/stand desk for a few months now, jury is still out for me. It is motorized so no excuse as to being able to use it easily in both modes but I feel like the comment about getting distracted easier while standing applies to me as well.

 

I really like large desks on which I can sprawl sketches, mugs, monitors, miscellaneous equipment, paper, plants, etc. The space lets my mind wander when it needs to. I use two filing cabinets with an unfinished door laid across them. It is insanely inexpensive, huge, stable, and provides a lot of storage space within easy reach of the workspace.

I recently moved into an apartment where there are large windows and a skylight above my workspace. Natural light makes such a huge difference. Just don't park yourself right next to a window, especially one that overlooks traffic, or you'll find yourself gazing out of it all the time.

For my chair, I have a particular type that I like, but I picked mine up for $15 at a consignment store. It's a generic swivel chair, but I like having a wide flat base so that I have lots of room to wiggle, pull one leg up, both, squat, or kneel on it while working. This means the chair needs arms that stick out with clearance below (i.e. the rests are supported by a single pillar). They also need to be firm so that I can push myself up on them occasionally and twist back and forth, elongating the spine. The chair back needs to be big enough for me to rest my head back on it in occasional frustration.

Getting up and walking around helps a lot, but I almost never remember to do it as often as I should. My productivity plummets if I have too much pent up energy, so I make sure to get substantial exercise every other day or so. I practice aikido; taking falls and rolling around is like a full-body massage.

I like working outside on a laptop, but I find that does a trip on my eyes, so I've stopped, but I can take a book out there.

I make sure to read for at least 30 minutes every day before bed, preferably Victorian doorstops of some kind. I find the fluidity of prose releases the geometric crush of computer logic on my brain. It's also become a physiological signal to my body, which releases my fixation on the problems of my project and lets me slip into sleep gracefully and naturally. It's important to reset before it all seeps in.

I often take a 30 minute nap in the middle of the day. It dulls me for a couple of hours, which I spend on something besides programming, but it gives me staying power later. Yeah, sleep is something I care about a lot.

 

Sleeping in the middle of the day is not always a solution though. Carrying out various physical activities relax your brain, which makes you productive afterwards.

Plus it's healthy for your body.

 

Plenty of cultures that take siestas. Can't be too bad for you.

 

This. So much. Nap every day.

 

That's why my development rig looks like this.

 

I got a delivery today!

 

Sorry for the delay, putting this all together has been more challenging than I initially anticipated!


As you can see I've decided to upgrade from my rMBP. I share the opinion earlier that multiple screens are more productive... so I've got 4x20" HD screens. Well I would have, except I hate black borders so instead I got the next step up, the Philips 40" UHD BDM4065UC!



As you can see, multitasking is now quite easy A keen observer would note that I have some serious horsepower at my disposal - I do a lot of server work and so in addition to multi-tasking with multiple windows, I often need to run multiple VM's. As such I intend to setup my main gaming/work enviroment as a VM with pass-through ala:

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Multi-headed-VMWare-Gaming-Setup-564/

With a secondary display for the wife!

Unfortunately while I did manage to get PCI passthrough to work (full GPU access in VM) ESXi was not working very well - shutting down the VM would crash the host and while ESXi is free the latest control client is not. As such I've gone for a normal windows install (windows 10 for fun) and intend to dual boot a Linux install to muck with KVM and see if I can get that working well.

I'm investing significant time setting this up (very slow downloads) but once I get some free time again I'm going to look into getting a better keyboard and mouse as well as a few other improvements.

 

Out of interest, did you lost any weight, find yourself any fitter or have improved posture from that experience?

 

Productivity wise, I've found having the same keyboard, mouse and chair in every work environment is massive for productivity. As soon as you start switching up keyboards, mice and chairs, you're not as productive.

 

Reminds me of John Carmack in 1995. http://www.geek.com/games/john-carmack-coded-quake-on-a-28-inch-169-1080p-monitor-in-1995-1422971/

Or Lord Gaben for that matter.

 

@movra that's hilarious! Good to know I'm following in the right footsteps

 

I hope you strain your neck having to look around the screen the whole time

 

Nope, it's actually quite pleasant to look at. If I'm working in a particular quadrant I sometimes swivel slightly in my chair to focus on it - but the same for having multiple monitors. I also have an awesome swivel arm for the monitor that I want to hooked up for position pleasure... but unfortunately I need some screws that are not included.

 

My home workspace has the potential to be very productive. I have an office in my home, which is actually dubbed my "gaming room". My wife isn't delighted, but she has adapted, like a good soldier.

Got a comfortable IKEA office chair and desk, and two 27 inch monitors. Problem is, I'm a gamer, and my computer is a powerful gaming rig. So my productivity takes severe hits in periods.

If I had discipline, though, my productivity would be through the roof.

 

All of the above, to varying degrees. And because I also eat healthily (mostly green leafy plants, plus meat (red, white, and other) and eat as few processed foods as possible, and a glass of wine several times a week), and I walk and dance every day, and I try to maintain good posture whether sitting, standing, or driving*, I can't say for sure how much of a part the standing desk played in those results.

*daily regimen info provided to give a frame of reference.

 

Here's my development environment - my laptop (and a second monitor) on the kitchen table with ready access to the fridge, coffee and the wine.

I'm working mostly in Vue at the moment, the polar opposite of Unity. I've just rendered a scene with over 2 billion polygons. A couple of million grass instances willl do that.

 

Just like my son! He has his work station on our kitchen table and considers it his spot. At dinner time, he moves his laptop and keyboard and eats in the same spot. He even did a paper for an English class on his spot.

He also loves the proximity to the fridge and the coffee pot.

 

Annnnd... I've had enough of sitting. I set my standing desk back up again this morning and I've been at it all day.

Sitting there all day for the past month has been sort of nice after standing so long, but I've also noticed a slight weight gain and yup, my productivity has still been slightly off. I'm going to attribute that to something other than standing. Could be allergies (I have them bad this time of year), it could be Spring (I get severe wanderlust every year for several months), it could be anything. It didn't improve much switching to sitting down.

I also mentioned in my previous post that my legs had started getting sore at the standing desk. Well, I went to see a doctor a couple of weeks ago and it turns out the pain I was feeling in my legs wasn't due to standing but due to my sciatic nerve having problems. He told me some stretches I should do at night and booom, the pain is disappearing more and more every day.

So I'm back standing and dancing while I work and when I take breaks I sit the hell down. Crossing my fingers that I can find some good motivation soon. Turns out it doesn't matter if I'm sitting or standing, I'm still staring numbly at a computer screen watching life pass by. Made new plans to solve that today as well. Time will tell if I can let this all blow away in the wind. I'm soooo close.

 

I am still waiting to get mine, Ony! We are doing some remodeling in our house at the moment so my desk has to wait...sighs. Sorry about the sciatica! Hope it gets better for you. I am supposed to do stretches too but I am not good at staying on that routine. Exercise is so boring unless I am outside!

I get wanderlust all the time....wish I were closer and we could wander somewhere! My daughters are wanderers as well, which is good but can't get the guys out of the house sometimes.

 

The stretches are really, really helping. I do them every night before bed, and exercise every morning. So much better than it was before.

That would be lovely.