I have been going back and forth with standing desks and regular desks with normal chairs but I haven’t really found a working solution that would satisfy my remote work needs. I started researching alternative ways of working and decided to give floor sitting a try.

Why did I decide to try floor sitting?

After doing some research it seemed that many cultures have a long history of floor sitting. Floor sitting seems to be much more natural than sitting on a chair and it started to make sense to try it out while working remotely.

I had been struggling with some back issues and was looking for ways to make my back feel a little bit better. I have a bad habit of trying to fix ergonomic issues by purchasing accessories but in the end, it all comes down to movement and strength which no tool can fix.

Floor sitting seems logical also because as we grow up we tend to be playing on the floor most of the time. At some point, we just get stuck sitting on our chairs which has also gone under the radar for me.

Also, floor sitting is quite minimalistic by design which I really like.

My old “perfect” remote work setup.

How did I start floor sitting?

At first, I just went to the floor with my laptop and continued working. After a while, it turned out to be quite tough to maintain a proper position so I had to get a pillow. I had a couple of exercise disks in the closet which I used at first. They were a little bit too wobbly so I ended up buying a meditation pillow which was perfect.

Quite soon I also had to get a good laptop stand to avoid not looking down all the time as my laptop would be laying on the floor and my head would be way higher than the screen. I already had a remote keyboard and a mouse to make things better as well.

After getting yet another piece of equipment or two to support my new way of working, I really started noticing some differences.

List of floor-sitting equipment

• GetUpDesk Light is the stand that I primarily use when working on the floor as a stand for my laptop, mouse and keyboard. It is from a local Finnish manufacturer, which I am not 100% sure ships their products internationally. Their product page might still be beneficial to get an idea of what kind of stand I prefer when working on the floor.
• Meditation cushion and pillow to support sitting for longer periods of time. This is essential especially when starting out and experimenting with floor sitting.
• Yoga blocks are also a good option to support sitting.

Results of floor sitting for a month

After a month of floor sitting while working on a computer I have noticed that my energy levels stay much better throughout the day. I feel like the blood flow in my legs has improved as I need to involve my lower body much more while sitting on the floor.

I can say for sure that I can maintain a better level of focus while doing some tasks that require heavy concentration. At first, it was hard to adjust to the constant need to change position, but after a while, I got used to it and accepted that it is just a natural way for my body to tell me to switch positions.

Conclusions going forward with floor sitting

I will definitely continue floor-sitting while working remotely. I like how my body forces me to stay active while sitting on the floor. I also keep switching between standing and floor sitting but I will try to avoid sitting on chairs going forward.