Recently Iain Fullerton shared a post from Caroline Fisher about how spending so much time at our desks is not always so great for us.
Having spent two decades in the corporate trenches I can draw on some modest experience to support this notion.
NB: it’s not just being desk bound that can be disagreeable, but I digress…
After typing out a third paragraph to comment on Iain’s LinkedIn post it occurred to me that it was time to blog.
Reflections on the desk based productivity / creativity paradigm:
I do most of my best thinking & ideation *away* from my desk / PC setup.
In my previous career, especially in the first ten years or so, often I found I mentally took work home. This wasn’t always so grand: it would affect my quality of sleep and a tired me is not always a happy & productive me.
When I returned to University back in 2022 I rediscovered that I did my best research & writing between 21:00 & 03:00. Not quite standard business hours indeed!
I’m not anti-desk… I prefer working on a PC setup rather than a tablet, smartphone or laptop. This is likely mostly habitual, but it works for me plus I can listen to music without headphones.
Since I am (A) my own boss and (B) in control of my own schedule I can minimise the potential for external distractions, have ready access to my preferred beverages & snacks of choice & my office chair is suitably comfy.
Hooray.
Some people or organisations insist you’re bound to your desk (which is really their desk) for any number of reasons. Some of them are even valid ones.
At other times it is precisely so you are so hosed with all things work related that you don’t have the opportunity to come to the conclusion: “There are better ways for me to live a fulfilling, balanced professional and personal life… so why am I here again?”
The office based, white collar, professional world still retains many concepts of 19th – 20th century schools of business, organisational & managerial ideology: people-warehousing, creativity stifling, top down driven processes to extract maximum value from labour.
They work (for a given value of ‘work’)… but they do come with costs that can be credibly demonstrated beyond the merely financial.
NB: burnout is real. If anyone ever says it’s not a thing they are either wrong or they are lying to you. Do not trust these people.
So take that walk. Speak to that colleague on the next floor. Go get that refreshing beverage of choice. Have that snack. Go outside just to be outside.
Find the ways that work for you… wherever they lead.
If nothing else your mind & body might just thank you for it.