My Chairs. My Aches. My Pain.

Is a chair a productivity tool? Absolutely.

When I was younger, I didn't care what my office chair or desk was like; it didn't matter to me, I was young. I sat with one leg tucked under me as I worked. I couldn't have cared less if my arms were at 90 degree angles to my desk, or if I had a foot rest, but those carefree days are gone now.

The real game changer for me was my total knee replacement surgery. After the surgery, no sitting arrangement felt right for more than an hour at a time. I was standing, sitting, leaning on stools, using different desks at different heights with different chairs just to get comfortable and get through the day. The company I worked for was very accommodating but it was tiring and uncomfortable for me (and for them, I'm sure). My work suffered as did my emotional and physical well-being. Who would have thought that my chair would become such an important tool in my toolkit?

Last year I started my own company and now I work from home. My favorite spot to work is in my home office. I have a wonderful desk with everything is at the right height. The chair I have is good, not perfect but it's good. I have two other places to work at, each at a different height and each has a different chair for me to use so I'm lucky in that I am able to move around a lot and since each place is set up to fit me, I am comfortable and working pain-free again. As a result, I am putting out much better work in less time.

If you're in pain while working look for solutions and speak to someone in your office about your issues. Not all solutions are expensive and you might find one or two tools to help you right there in your office.

Productivity tools come in all shapes and sizes and each one is important to us putting out good work.