All the ergonomic furniture...

I am highly aware that sitting at a desk for hours and hours a detrimental to a person's health. Our workplace encourages people to get up frequently throughout the day and walk around. It is actually hard doing this without feeling like it is somehow cheating. As it is, I get into work just before 7.30am so I can leave by 3.30pm. I don't mind getting to work that early because it's quiet and I can get a lot done. Some days it gets quite noisy in this open plan office, days when most of the staff don't have outside appointments.

So, getting up and being seen to not be working feels a bit cheeky, even though we're encouraged to do this. Wednesday was a 'stress down' day, so we had a morning tea - something that isn't infrequent because we also do morning or afternoon teas to farewell staff or to celebrate work anniversaries. We had five minute massages at our desks. Thursday is, of course, our weekly corporate massage day. I wasn't able to have a massage this week because I had a group to run in the city, but most weeks I do.

In addition to these perks, I have bought myself a fitball chair...

 

This is great, and fascinating to the other staff. 

I have ordered the follow standing desk augmentation. This will allow me to in get my standing - and even moving - time without feeling so guilty about it...

 

These are available at work and my manager asked why I hadn't gotten one from People and Culture. I explained that on the website it says I need to show a medical need for one, and in all honesty I don't have one. The other thing though is that I will be able to take it with me if I leave. She said with a laugh, 'So, you're already looking for another job!' I said I absolutely was not, I love my job, but I'm aware that my contract is stated as being 'full time, temporary', and I don't want to get ahead of myself. 

So, there you go, I'm trying to do all I can to avoid the traps of sitting at a desk all day. Let's see how it goes.