Category Archives: Office Misadventures

How Your Posture Affects Work Performance and Well-Being

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“Rona, how can you work like that?” Marsha asks, peering into my office.

“What do you mean?” I just tidied my office last week so it can’t be the usual clutter she is referring to.

“Sitting at the edge of your chair like that, all hunched over to read the screen.”

I sit back and straighten up. She’s right. The neck cramps were just starting to kick in. “Ah, bad habit,” I reply.

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She smiles at me sympathetically. “May I come in?”

“Sure, of course.” I wave her in. It’s not like I was having a productive morning anyway.

“I’ve been doing some research on office ergonomics,” Marsha begins. “I learned body posture has a significant impact on quality of work.”

Makes sense. I nod, encouraging her to continue. Marsha always comes up with these great ideas for improving our workplace. I wonder what she has up her sleeve this time.

“The most important solution is to take short breaks every 30 minutes,” she continues.

“Did Andy put you up to this?” I joke. It sounds like a classic Andy move – finding any excuse to get out of a full day of work.

“I know it sounds a bit crazy, but getting away from your desk periodically can actually improve productivity,” Marsha explains. “And that’s not all. There are also a number of products that are designed to improve your health when sitting at a desk all day.”

She sets this month’s Office Plus flyer on my desk and turns to page 2.
“See these Footrests?” She asks. “There’s also the Fellowes Mesh Backrest and Adjustable Keyboard Tray,” she says, pointing to each product.

I nod, feeling the pressure in my back begin to subside just thinking about it.

“This is what you need,” Marsha says, pointing to the Corner Monitor Riser. “It elevates your monitor to eye level. So no more hunching.”

“Marsha, this is fantastic. Let’s make an order and get all employees on the same page here.”

A wide grin spreads across Marsha’s cheeks. “I’m on it!” She says, hurrying out the door in excitement.

I look back at my computer screen, adjusting my chair to the proper height and pulling my shoulders back in efforts to fix my posture. It’s hard to do without the proper furniture and supplies.

Alright, 30 minutes until my next break, I smile to myself. Better make them productive.

An Agenda That Could Change Your Life?

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I am just getting down to work when Andy comes barging into my office carrying a big box that is completely blocking his line of sight.

“Special delivery!” He calls out.

Suddenly, he trips over a pile of files sitting on the floor beside my desk and he – and the box – come crashing down. “Oomph.”

“Ah Andy are you okay?!” I jump out of my chair and scramble to his side to help him up, sidestepping my ‘to be shredded’ pile along with the spilled notebooks from Andy’s box on my way.

“I’m fine.” He sits up slowly, a distraught expression on his face.

His attention turns to the state of my office, and I immediately sense the judgments he’s making.

“I’m uh…re-organizing. September is a fresh start!” I explain.

Andy doesn’t look convinced. He pulls one of the notebooks that came from his large box, and opens it up. I quickly realize it isn’t a notebook, but a planner.

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Andy grabs a pen from my desk drawer and scribbles something in the margin next to the month of September. Then he hands it over to me.

I look down and read Andy’s neat handwriting: “September is a fresh start!”

“Now, you can remember this moment, and use it to set your goals moving forward,” Andy says with a smile.

“But I don’t need a planner, I keep everything organized on my iPhone,” I reply.

“And how often do you look back at your digital notes, months later, to assess what you’ve accomplished?” He asks. “I use my paper agenda to track my goals – both professionally and personally. It really helps me stay on track.”

Where did this Andy come from? I think to myself. Mr. Goal Chaser.

“Nothing beats a handwritten collection of your thoughts,” he says. “All the great ones did it – Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, Beatrix Potter.”

I flip through the planner, noticing the weekly and monthly page spreads, with plenty of room for notes. Maybe this is just what I need. “Thanks Andy, great idea.”

“Not to mention, I figure this way, when I become famous, I can sell my planner on eBay for the big bucks!” He jokes.

We sit on my office floor, laughing loudly. “Who knows, Andy? You’re so full of surprises, it just might happen!”

You Can Never Have Too Many Pens

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I’m sitting in the boardroom at our monthly staff meeting, listening to Aditi go over our reports, when my pen suddenly runs dry.

I search frantically through my purse for a backup, trying to memorize the numbers Aditi rhymes off so I can be sure to jot them down for review.

Brigid, who is sitting in the chair across from me, slides a pen across the boardroom table and smiles warmly. I mouth the words “thank you,” and start scribbling away to catch up.

But I can’t help becoming distracted by the pen’s smooth, soft grip and archival quality. It glides across my notepad, leaving a smudge-free line of black ink behind.

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Aditi’s voice trails off and everyone starts to gather up their things and head for the door. I follow closely behind Brigid, handing her pen back to her.

“Keep it,” Brigid says. “I just got a pack of 12 from the Office Plus e-flyer.”

“Thanks!” I respond. “I’m going to have to get some for myself.”

“It’s the Jimnie Gel Rollerball Pen,” Brigid tells me, pulling the flyer up on her tablet as we walk back to our offices. “You save when you buy a pack of 12.”

I glance over her shoulder as she flips through the pages, stopping her as she scrolls past images of notepads. “I’m running low on these too,” I tell her.

“I like the Recycled Perforated Pads myself,” Brigid says. “High quality legal rule on one side and blank on the other – and made with 100% recycled paper.”

“Sounds perfect!”

“I’ll email you the flyer,” she says over her shoulder as we reach my office door and she continues down the hallway.

I sit down at my desk and carefully place Brigid’s pen in my penholder. Minutes later, I hear the familiar ding coming from my laptop and Brigid’s name pops up in my inbox.

I waste no time finding the pens and pads and sending in my order. Who knew you could get so excited about note taking? I decide to purchase two boxes of 12 – just in case someone asks to “borrow” a pen at the next board meeting. It doesn’t hurt to have a backup. Plus, you can never have too many pens.