Our habits can be so ingrained into our beliefs and thoughts that it can be difficult to even know when they are happening. This makes it even harder to develop new habits or break long standing habits. 

In this article we will provide you with some simple strategies you can apply to help you develop this new habit of standing more.

Start with Small Goals

Don't expect to go from sitting all day to standing all day, overnight. Changing to standing comes with its challenges - leg muscle fatigue, tired feet and then the issue of remembering to do it. It's this type of unrealistic goal setting that inhibits people from actually achieving the goals they set out to achieve.

Start with a small goal such as standing for 10 to 15 minutes every few hours. Once you master that, progress the goal and build from there. 

 

Cues, Prompts & Reminders

When you sit down at your desk to start your work day, it's common to suddenly become engrossed in your work tasks and then lose track of time. Before you know it, it is lunch time and then home time. So to avoid the trap of being caught up in the whirlwind of your work day, identify ways to incorporate cues, prompts or reminders of when to stand. 

• Set some ground rules - e.g. Start every work day off standing or stand after you return to your desk from lunch
• Coffee breaks - everyone looks forward to that time of the day. But perhaps try standing in the lead up to it or immediately after it. 
• Add reminders in your calendar - they will pop up and remind you to stand
• Use non-meeting time to stand and perform your computer work
• Visit the printer often? Return to stand at your desk after retrieving your printing
• At the end of your work day, adjust your desk to standing so that way the next day you start standing
• Use phone calls as standing time - if you receive calls semi-regularly use that as a cue to stand up and do them