Tired of Meetings? Here's 3 Reasons to Take a Stand

Meeting. The word can make some people fatigued just hearing it, and if you're stuck in a chair for yours, sometimes an hour can feel like a lifetime.

Standing meetings are fast on the rise, and for good reason. They're better for your energy levels, they can make meetings more productive, and they help you think quicker on your feet (hey-o!).

As a fan of standing during meetings myself, I wanted to get the full scope of benefits from standing instead of sitting during meetings. As it turns out, it's not just good for me, it's good for business, too. Below are the top three reasons why employees should take a stand for better work.

It's Good for Business

It's pretty well-known how bad sitting can be for your body and your mind; this even extends to the time you spend in meetings. But what about the negative effects it has on businesses? If a team of eight people have a one hour meeting, that's eight hours total that has been spent. Eight hours. That's a full workday! But a recent Forbes study proved that standing meetings can cut that time by 25%, a huge cost-savings for companies. The theory behind this is that employees are able to be more purpose driven when they stand, which reduces side conversations and other time wasters.

Time savings isn't the only benefits standing meetings provide businesses. Writers at Forbes have reported more productive work during meetings when they gave their bodies the chance to stand. The employees said they felt less distracted by their computers and chats, assisting them in focusing on the speaker of the meeting instead.

Creativity Soars When You Can Stand

It's natural to want to claim a little personal space, especially in the office. Our desks, cubicles, and offices all contribute to this "individually-oriented mindset," which can actually slow creativity in meetings. Even though you don't have as much space in the conference room, most people lay claim to a certain amount of space with chairs, laptops, notebooks, and other items.

Well, studies have shown that terrirtorial attitudes lead to a less generous sharing of ideas during meetings. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri found that groups working together on a project while standing were much more engaged and overall less territorial than they were while seated. Brainstorming becomes more fluid, energetic, and collaborative just from one switch.

If your meetings have seemed less creative than you would have likes, try removing the chairs from the conference room and have a standing meeting for a change.

Stand Up For Better Focus

If your job requires you to work in an office, you can probably attest to the painfulness of sitting for a majority of the day. Moving more and standing is much better for our bodies than sitting, and standing is a happy in-between that allows employees to focus more. If you feel like you're going to want a bit of support but don't want to take a seat, perch on active seating, which will let you rest a bit while you're listening to the speaker. Whether you stand or perch, getting out of a traditional chair, even for a while, is better for your body.

Increase circulation throughout your entire body just by switching your posture. If you're already working at a height adjustable desk, you probably already appreciate the feeling. Extend that same comfort to the conference room with a Height Adjustable Conference Table by UPLIFT DeskHeight Adjustable Conference Table, which will allow you to adjust for height when you feel like standing or sitting. It's also a smart way to host standing meetings that give employees space for storage, as opposed to standing meetings without a table.

Whatever you need to help your workday go more smoothly, to boost your team's creativity, and reduce the time you spend in meetings, UPLIFT Desk has a growing range of products to convert your office. Let us help you plan your space, or if you need help shopping, reach out to our team via call, email, or chat live on our site below.