The Xdesk Health and Wellness Blog

Have you ever found yourself nodding off at your desk? Or maybe just struggling to stay focused on that report you’ve been working on? More than likely, you’ve experienced the struggle of brain fog and the blow it can have on your productivity. And to make matters worse, our go-to fixes like caffeine and sugar actually only make it worse. Here are some ideas to beat and prevent the dreaded brain fog.

Quick Fixes to Bust Through Brain Fog

Sit Pretty

Yes, your mom was right, your posture does matter. Even if you have a standing desk like Xdesk, chances are you’ll find yourself sitting occasionally. When you sit, make sure that your knees are at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat on the floor, and sit tall to ensure your hands lay comfortably on your keyboard. This will help improve circulation and even breathing, which both can help your brain function more effectively.

Stand Up and Move

Standing, even for just a few minutes throughout the day, can counteract the negative side effects of sitting, including brain fog. Adding that simple form of physical exercise can help burn off the stress hormone cortisol and stimulate new brain cell formation—both of which can lead to brain fog. If you have an adjustable height standing desk like Xdesk, just spend a few minutes standing, or get up and go walk around the office for a minute or so. Even better, take a step outside. Sunshine and fresh air can do wonders for your mood and help clear your mind.

Nosh Nutritiously

Contrary to popular belief, that soda or cup of coffee actually won’t really help you beat brain fog. The sugar and caffeine might give you a temporary boost, but you’ll likely feel even worse once it wears off. Avoid the sugar crash and just eat a healthy snack. Fresh foods—not packaged or processed—are best. Snacks with protein, like beef jerky and hard-boiled eggs, or good kinds of fats like nuts and cottage cheese, and great to give your brain and body much needed nutrients without the insulin spike and inevitable crash caused by carbs and sugar.

Stretch it Out

Stretching is a great way to get energy circulating in your body. Stretch your arms over your head, touch your toes, rotate your head different ways to stretch your neck, whatever feels good to get your blood flowing again. There are even some really simple yoga poses you can do at your desk.

Tips to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Prevent Brain Fog

Say No to Sugar

Sugar and sugar-containing products are some of the worst culprits for brain fog. This includes carbs and starches, which elicit a similar response to sugar in your body. Combat the draw of the vending machine by keeping healthy, nutrient-rich snacks available at your desk. In addition to the high-protein and healthy fat options from above, you can try fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, and bell peppers with hummus.

Exercise Regularly

One of the most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy and performing at its best is regular exercise. Physical exercise can increase endorphins and deliver more glucose and oxygen to your brain. Even if you can’t squeeze in a consecutive 30 minutes or so at the gym, just break up the sedentary parts of your day with a walk or stretches to experience similar benefits. The main point? Get moving!

Supplement

Sometimes, brain fog can be a side effect of missing nutrients. If you struggle with brain fog often, it might be worthwhile to visit a nutritionist to evaluate your diet and see if you need any supplementation. Some common brain-boosting supplements include:

Vitamins D and B-12: These are both essential to brain health and supplementing common deficiencies.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These are found in high concentrations in the brain and are crucial to memory and overall brain health and function.

MultiVitamin: This will help fill in any nutritional gaps for when you don’t eat as well as you should.

Hydrate

Research has shown that dehydration can lead to fatigue. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day that you don’t feel thirsty. And no, this doesn’t mean coffee or tea, which both can actually dehydrate you!

Having an adjustable height desk like Xdesk makes beating brain fog easy. Breaking up your time spent sitting with short standing intervals is hugely beneficial to your overall health, productivity, and yes, brain clarity. Let us know your go-to ways to beat brain fog!

It’s amazing how much our work environment affects our productivity. A cluttered, unorganized desktop and office space can distract you and slow down your work flow. Plus, who has time to rifle through that stack of documents for that memento you wrote last week, or test every one of your highlighters until one actually works? No thank you. Here’s a few tips to minimizing your desk clutter, and maximizing your productivity.

Out of Sight, Peace of Mind.

Xdesk is a big proponent of having a clear desk for greater overall functionality, and has a few accessories to help you make the most of your space. For instance, cords and cables are a major disturbance to a space aiming for visually clean lines. Hide the cables through Xdesk’s Vanity Cover where they are conveniently tucked underneath your desktop away from your workspace. Speaking of cords, your power cords also need a convenient place to hide, like Xdesk’s Power Management system. This also keeps you from worrying about having cables to reach from your electronics to the wall outlet when you raise your desk. If you have a large CPU for your monitors, it can really take up a lot of your working space if you have it on top of your desk, and can get in the way under your desk. Next Desk’s CPU Mount conveniently connects to the underside of your desk and stays conveniently out of the way no matter what height your desk is set to. Since the computer monitor takes up the majority of most desks, consider installing Monitor Arms like the ones from Xdesk. They’ll clear up considerably more surface area that you can use for accessories.

Now that your desk is clear of some of the largest space-taking objects, it’s time to organize with functional and stylish accessories and assign a purpose to everything on your desk.

A Place for Everything.

Every item on your desk—that note from your meeting yesterday, your pencils, your picture of your family, and even your tape dispenser—needs an assigned home. For some of the paperwork or chewed on pens, that might mean the trash can, or it might mean finding a stylish and functional filing system.

Take for instance this ultra-sleek set of wooden accessories. What’s great is the thoughtfulness of each piece. An indention for spare batteries in the keyboard tray, a pen holder in your mousepad, and matching cups and dishes for office odds and ins. Everything has a place, and as a result, everything looks organized. Pair this with an industrial yet sophisticated filing system like this desktop one or this hanging one (see how to hang wall décor with a standing desk here) and your desk will look and feel put together and complete.

Keep it Clean.

PSA: Your desk gets dirty. You’d probably be surprised at what you found if you wiped a dust cloth across the surface of your accessories or desk, not to mention the things you can’t see on that cloth. You’re likely in contact with your desk all throughout the work day, and keeping your desk space cleaned can protect your physical health and improve your productivity. When your desk is clean and not covered in a layer of dust and food crumbs, it’s not so bad to spend time at it. It’s important to at least wipe your desk clean with a non-abrasive cleaner like an antibacterial wipe once a week. And yes, this means moving your desk accessories aside to clean under them, which is much easier when your desk is clutter free. Check out your user manual for suggestions on cleaning materials that are safe for your Xdesk surface.

Stay Ahead of the Mess.

The easiest way to keep a desk free of clutter is to stay on top of the problem. Before you leave for the day, do a quick check and tidy up. Throw away unimportant documents and trash, put things back in their designated space, and quickly wipe down your surfaces. That way, when you arrive at your desk in the morning, you’ll be greeted by an orderly space inviting you to have a productive day.

We always talk about the negative health effects of sitting. The facts are pretty dismal, so we’ve found a standing infographic that compares sitting versus standing for a more pleasant picture.

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The internet has picked up a study recently with flashy headlines saying that standing desks are “basically useless.” They are using shock statements to get you to read the article and once you do, you’ll realize that’s not even what the study is about.

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If your child is in school, you may have noticed how much classrooms are changing. Teachers and parents are talking to principals and school boards all about the health and mental benefits of standing desks, and that discussion is leading to more and more pilot programs. There are several reasons why schools are jumping on the standing desk bandwagon, and here are several of the case studies and the science behind the switch.

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