Work Wise - Adventures in Ambidexterity

Last week, I told you about my experiment with a Stand-up workstation. I've found that standing up while working has really changed my perspective. If nothing else, at least I'm not falling asleep at my desk...

Along these same lines, I'm always looking for ways to break up the monotony of the work day in corporate America. One of the ways I do this is by regularly switching the hands that control my mouse and dial the phone. I use my mouse for several hours each day and I dial between 125 and 200 calls daily.

I am naturally right hand dominant and it feels most comfortable using my right hand to dial a phone and guide the mouse at my computer. However, I have found that I can be much more efficient by using one hand to control the mouse and the other to dial the telephone. An interesting way for me to continually liven things up (and keep myself on my toes) is to periodically swap my phone and my mouse to opposite sides of my desk. On January 2nd of this year, I moved my phone to the left side and the mouse to the right. Friday of last week, I reversed them. I love doing this as it forces me to be present in the moment and concentrate on what I am doing.

I began doing this a few years ago after reading an article suggesting that you may potentially improve brain function by using your non-dominant hand to perform common, every day tasks. Several studies claim that new neural pathways are created when a "righty" goes "southpaw" a few studies argued that this change to your routine unlocks the creative potential of the right side of your brain.

I've always looked for ways to be artistic in everything I do (especially the banal, robotic routines of daily life). The notion that you could stimulate creativity or tap into your artistic right-brain more easily by simply using your left hand to move your mouse or dial the phone was incredibly appealing to me. 

My takeaway from this experiment is that it resembles the placebo effect: I find myself being more creative and artistic in my approach because I have the expectation that I am activating another part of my brain this way. If I am more creative or more artistic as the result of dialing the phone with my left hand, then it is irrelevant if science can prove that there is a correlation. 

Click here for a great article that goes into greater depth and explores some of the science and research that's been done on the topic.

What has been your experience? I'd love to hear from somebody who has tried this experiment. Or, maybe you're inspired to try it… Let us know how it goes.

Committing too much

There comes a time when you have to admit that you've overdone it; that you've committed to too much. For anyone who is ambitious you will know the feeling. How many of us work, and then commit to our kids to take them somewhere, and commit to the school that we will volunteer, and commit to a community organization that we will help with the food drive/bake sale/bazaar/fair/etc? Learning when to say when is a skill that must be developed. And neither Myko, nor myself, have mastered it yet.

We've had this goal to complete tasks within 30 days. To challenge ourselves to get projects done by establishing a deadline. And, while the experiment hasn't been going on too long, we've been pleased with pushing ourselves and meeting (almost) those goals. Of course, like any goal in life, you have to be willing to concede to life; to modify your own expectations and goals to accommodate the things life puts in front of you. Life (i.e. kids, colds, traffic, work issues, broken appliances, lack of sleep, etc.) can get in the way of your goals. And this month, it did.

Our July 30-Day-Challenge was cut short already by the overrun of the June 30-Day-challenge. In spite of that, we were determined to make a small goal for ourselves for July and get something done in two weeks. In fact, we decided to do TWO things: 1) Complete the pantry repair (which was damaged as a result of the hot water heater busting), and 2) Work out 3 times a week and make a meal plan.

I'm still confident that we can achieve one of them, but I am resigning myself that both are not going to happen. First, for the pantry, I still haven't ordered a second box of flooring for the pantry (we think we have enough but aren't sure). Second, there are simply not enough days left in this month to prep, execute and complete the pantry repair. Both of us have been ultra busy and stressed out at work leaving us little energy to do much in the evening other than the standard necessities (which are no small feat in their own right) - laundry, ironing, cooking, cleaning up the kitchen, getting ready for the upcoming work day.

Our health challenge, on the other hand, is still attainable. Last week we walked or worked out at least 3 times (Myko far surpassed that). Before the 31st we will be able to fit in three more bouts of exercise and I am committing myself to making a meal plan; to scouring Pinterest and any other recommended sites to find healthy, delicious recipes. I've already done some on the fly but I would like to have a written plan so that it is easier to stick to. Removing the age old question, "what are we going to have for dinner?" will help my stress level, will allow me more time to be at home and less stops at the grocery store after work and will keep us from defaulting to something easy that may not be as healthy.

It's extremely difficult to set a goal and not meet it, at least for people like us. But I've got to adjust the focus on what we have been able to achieve - some relaxation, time with our kids, travel, keeping up the regular chores - instead of the one thing we haven't.

I'm excited at the potential for next month. A WHOLE month to work on yet another goal. Now we just have to determine what it will be.

Stand-Up Desk Experiment: 90 Day Report

A year and a half after returning to corporate America and working in a cubicle, I was stir-crazy and ready for a change. I knew that sitting for 8+ hours at my desk, sitting in traffic for another 2 to 4 hours and then going home to sit on the couch for another 3 to 5 hours before going to bed was a recipe for all kinds of health problems. Sure,

I went to the gym 5 days a week and would run or hike on the weekends, but I knew that this would not be enough to mitigate the long term effects of this sedentary lifestyle. 

I had occasion to discuss my concerns about all of that sitting while meeting with an orthopaedic surgeon relating to a shoulder injury I had sustained in October. He raved about the benefits of a "Stand-Up" desk (more precisely, he talked a lot about the negative health consequences from so much sitting at a traditional desk). The benefits of a stand-up/sit-down work station went well beyond just augmenting my physical therapy to rehab my shoulder. He wrote a note to my employer stating that I needed a stand-up/sit-down work station as part of my on-going physical therapy.

The bad news: Insurance doesn't cover the cost of a stand-up desk (prices range from $350 to $5000) and my employer was only willing to re-imburse me $150 of the cost. I was not prepared to drop a couple grand on a new desk without doing some homework.

I decided to start with an Ikea hack (I love re-purposing Ikea swag). I took some measurements and found that I needed something to raise my workstation 18 inches or so in order to achieve the proper ergonomics. I purchased a display cabinet (now discontinued) that was 42" wide by 17" deep by 17" - 19" tall (adjustable legs). [It's important to note that, while the model I purchased is no longer available, there are tons of similar items that come and go from their catalog.] The TV display case fit perfectly atop my existing cubicle workstation.

This closely resembles the item I purchased on clearance for $35.00

I knew that I was not going to be able to stand all day (and, in fact, it is not recommended that you stand 8+ hours each day as this also present certain health concerns). I brought in a tall shop stool I had in my workshop for those times that I would want to take the load off my feet. 

The first few days were rough: I could go about 30 minutes standing before fatigue set in and I needed to sit down. By Thursday of that first week, I was able to go up to an hour and still focus on my work without thinking about my feet or my back. The discomfort of sitting on the shop chair lent itself to my standing for longer periods (ugh, not as comfy in my office as it is in my workshop). 90 days in and I can easily go full 2 hour periods without complaint.

I am not a doctor so I won't talk about how studies suggest that standing reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes or other metabolic problems. Also, It is not likely that I would ever become obese, so there's no sense in saying that I benefited in this regard. Click here for an article that offers more discussion on these topics. 

I can say, however, that I have cured one major issue that many folks that work shitty desk jobs suffer from: falling asleep at my desk. I find that I am much more present in my work and engaged with my co-workers.   

In the last few weeks, I have begun adding a few wrinkles into my routine by standing on my tippy-toes for 60 seconds at a time or doing squats while I am waiting on hold for a customer. I will also stand with one foot on top of a box for a few minutes or just lift my leg into the tree pose. 

All in all, I am pleased that I followed my doctor's recommendation. I am ready to move forward with investing in a more long term solution. The two options are (1. A desk that raises and lowers or, (2. A stand-up height desk with a drafting chair that raises to the height of the work station. 

I will be going out and testing some of the products that are on the market in the next few weeks and report back my findings. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried or is in the process of converting to a stand-up/sit-down workstation. Leave a comment with your story or any suggestions.

-MyKO

July 30 Day Challenge (the rest of the month)

The idea of these 30 day challenges came from a media outlet who was challenging its listeners to commit to a 30 day challenge and post on social media along the way. Myko and I talked about it on our way home from the Tri-cities, crossing the pass actually, and decided since we are both goal oriented people we would take something on. In even just 2 months we have accomplished a LOT and there is certainly more to come. There is something motivating about setting a goal and not letting yourself down - because really, who are you letting down when you're talking about a project at your own house or a new weight loss plan, other than you? It does help tremendously for both of us to be on board. Accountability accounts for a lot of the time spent after work, when you're tired and the couch is calling your name. Having someone else to "answer to" helps move the project along.

Our last project was decided and started, and then ultimately changed by circumstance. While we are excited to get started on the pub shed, a flooded house is an emergency that cannot be ignored. In the end, despite missing our deadline, that half of the house looks fantastic. They are two rooms that do not get much use but perhaps their more inviting nature (clean from top to bottom with a few new features) will inspire us to spend more time over there.

As we were putting the final shelves on the bookcases we started discussing the next 30 day challenge. The question was do we start a new 30 full day challenge now? Or do an abbreviated challenge and start fresh in August. Since it's easier to track the deadline on a month-to-month basis we decided July's project should be short & sweet. Of course, it's us, so there's no easy challenge involved. We decided to take up 2 challenges for the remaining time this month:

1) Finish the damage the flood caused in the pantry.

2) Focus on our health and wellness

#1: For our house project we have some minor repairs to be completed in the pantry area where the hot water heater sits. The bottom section of the drywall was damaged in there. The repair itself should be pretty minimal. But since we are in there, and are trying to complete some unfinished projects, we are going to install flooring to match the kitchen in the rest of the pantry, add some paint to freshen things up, and reorganize all the stuff kept in there. Since the big freezer used to sit in that space (and ultimately hid the hot water heater failure) it will be finding a new home in the garage. So there will be some new space to be rearranged and utilized in alternative ways.

#2: While Myko is a fitness fanatic - enjoying time in the gym, moving around, doing push-ups - I'm just the opposite. While I enjoy getting out and being active, I tend to have a hard time motivating myself. And for some reason, old age I guess, I've noticed changes in my body where I used to be able to get myself into gear for a bit, eat a little bit better and like an instantaneous result, I would feel and look better. So I've asked Myko to spread his joy of working out and help me along the path to get in better shape. (Especially since we are going to Hawaii in November.) I've asked for some strong encouragement - which will probably lead to me abusing him to some extent with my whining and complaining - to help me keep on the path to feeling better about myself.

We will start by committing to 3 workouts per week and developing a meal plan. Meal plans I can do. I love having the week's meals planned and shopped for. I've found that for most of us it's figuring out what to eat that's the major hurdle in eating healthy and staying away from fast food. And honestly, I'm not much of a sweet fan; if chocolate didn't exist it would be no skin off my back (sacrilege I know) so cutting down or out on those shouldn't be too difficult.

I prefer fresh fruits and veggies. Ultimately if we lived near Pike Place Market I would never have groceries in the house. I'd just make something from whatever fresh stuff I could find at the market. I made this breakfast for us on Sunday morning. (Sorry, it was so good we had eaten half of it before I thought to take a photo.)

If you are interested in the recipe I will have it on it's own post. Breakfast was delicious, by the way. And took less than 15 minutes start to finish.

The workouts will be up to Myko. I will commit to doing whatever he suggests, no matter how much whining and irritation I will be exhibiting. (Look, I know myself too well). Last night at 9pm we went for a walk. I was not irritated about going on a walk, but rather the dogs going berserk and running off. I had packing and other things to do though and this delayed my accomplishing those tasks. I've never been very good at putting myself first. But I'm learning. I bought us jump ropes. It's a start, right?

I'm told there will be a weigh in. UGH. Maybe I can convince him that measurements are more my speed. I don't own a scale anyway. I understand measurable results but really I just want to get back into my old pants :)

Right now I'm on an airplane 10,000 miles in the sky. Drinking my water and eating the salad I packed for myself (did you know you can bring food with you through security?) and a fruit and cheese platter. You should know I packed my running shoes and workout gear. I know that even though I'm out of town the calories still count.

- Birdy

Fun and exciting weekend with kids and friends

This weekend found us heading down to Olympia for the Dirty Dash. Birdy loaded up the truck and she and the Big Sho picked me up from work (I gave her kids the nick names Big Li'l and Massa Shogun and the two of them are referred together as the "Big Sho"). We swung by and picked up Abbicus and Paco Sanchez and we were off in search of adventure.

We were going to be a part of the  IBEW Local 77 Renew Committee's team running in the annual mud run called the Dirty Dash. Five of us pitched in and rented a house on Summit Lake. This place was immaculate: fully furnished and exquisitely appointed. Great deck overlooking the lake.

The weather was better than we could have hoped for;sunny, light breeze, clear blue skies and no bugs. The kids were in the water within a few minutes after our arrival. We were joined by our house-mates Ben and Dusty (her real name is Shelby, but I will always know her as Dusty...its a long story...I will tell you all about it in another post some time) Cook just as we had finished unpacking. Matt Reese made it sometime around midnight. Everyone had a blast.

After a night spent tying on a few too many Friday night, we crawled out of bed and made ready for the main event: It was time to get dirty! How better to spend a scorching hot afternoon than to trounce around in pools of mud and drink beer? All in all, we had a really fun time and got to hang out and be a part of the IBEW Local 77 Renew Committee's fun event.

Birdy had the brilliant idea to bring along black trash bags for the car ride back to the lake house after the race. Her idea was to step into the bag and poke holes in the bottom of the bag and stick your feet through. We just needed to get back to the lake house without turning the truck into a mud pit and jump into the lake to wash off. I am pretty sure that half of the lake turned a shade of brown for a few minutes after we all got cleaned up.

We had a blast. The kiddos really bonded. We can't wait for next time we can all get together and make mischief. Can anyone say, Seaside?

-MyKO

The Journey Begins