Office Ergonomics – Neck Pain Relief

Today, with how much we all sit at our desks it’s nearly impossible not to have some aches and stiffness at work. However, there is a difference between the mild pain from a stiff joint and debilitating persistent pain that many of us fight through every day of the work week. My personal issue is neck and back pain. It starts with a little tightness in the shoulders and back, then slowly works its way up to my neck. Before I can get up to refill my water I’ve got a nickel sized ball of muscle tissue that will continue to ruin the rest of my day. Because of this, I’ve decided to invest a little time looking a little deeper at the ergonomics of my working environment and thought I’d share a few possible solutions for others who might be in my same position.

Neck Pain – Possible causes: Improper monitor positioning, improper keyboard or mouse positioning.

Proper monitor positioning

Correct monitor positioning can be key to avoiding neck pain.

Generally, visual strain is associated with higher placement, and musculoskeletal strain is associated with lower placement (2001, Applied Ergonomics).

Here are a few monitor risers that will solve your monitor height issues and add a little assistance in organizing your desk space.

Flat panel workstation adjusts in height from 2-1/2" to 4-1/2"

Fellowes Professional Series Flat Panel Workstation - Learn more

Monitor stand raises monitor to eye level and supports up to 35 lb

Rolodex Woodtone Monitor Stand

Easily adjust in height from 2-1/2" to 4-1/2" with no tools

Kensington Flat Panel Monitor Stand - Learn More

None of these peak your interest? Don’t worry we have over 50 unique monitor stand options to fit your need.

My Top 5 Ink Pens

What’s the best ink pen?

Well, I guess that’s an impossible question due to everyone’s subjective taste, but I consider myself a connoisseur of pens and will give it a shot anyhow. I will start by noting that I am quite picky about pens and often scoff when reps bring us in new batches of pens that don’t meet my markedly high standards for writing utensils. Let me also start by telling you, this whole ipad/tablet thing isn’t lost on me. In fact I love them. I love the ease of use, I love the portability and I love the million and one uses they have. I love it all, and I wish I had one (hint, hint).

That being said, I absolutely enjoy writing with a good pen for completely different reasons. All the writing and scratching out and page flipping works in conjunction with my sporadic mind in a way that relaxes me, briefly allowing me to forget the unwritten list of 50+ things that need to be accomplished immediately. It’s just you, the paper and the pen.

My favorite time to write is when I’m developing ideas. I write frantically and then scratch out parts and make side notes all over the place. I then flip the page and begin what many would interpret as 2nd grade level doodling’s, barely recognizable sketches of faint ideas. Those ideas though, start to take some semblance of shape in these early notes and will eventually lead to a finished product. That’s why i enjoy making them so much. Working with an excellent pen is a real plus to this process. Some pens are just fun to write with, literally causing me to be more descriptive with my notes, just so I can continue writing.

Without further ado, here are my current 5 Favorite Pens.

Pilot BeGreen Bottle to Pen B2P

Pilot B2P BeGreen Bottle to Pen

 

5. Pilot BeGreen B2P Ballpoint Pen – I love the concept of this pen. The excess of water bottles is easily apparent, just watch any environmental video on youtube. It’s also very cool looking. My issue with it though is the writing is stiff and not enough ink is released making the writing more of a gray than a bold black.That being said, it’s still a very cool pen and if you drive a prius or a hybrid, you should write with this pen.

Zebra Z-Mulsion

Zebra Z-Mulsion

4. Zebra Z-Mulsion - This pen has gotten a lot of positive reviews from those close to me. It’s the preferred pen of my girlfriend, Lauren. She swears by them, to the point that a box of them was part of her Christmas present last year. It’s an excellent pen with very smooth writing.

 

 

 

BIC Intensity Permanent Pen

BIC Intensity Permanent Pen

3. BIC Intensity Permanent Pen – Porous points are my new darling, its writing with a marker that looks like a pen. It gives my writing a more bubbly feel and adds an almost childish aspect to work.

 

 

 

 

2. Uni-Ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen

Uni-ball Vision Elite Pen

Uni-ball Vision Elite

I LOVE these pens. We have reps come in quite frequently with new pens and most of the time I try it and am underwhelmed.

This pen however excited me the second I started writing with it. I also like the idea of having a pen with muted colors, for example the purple (shown) is a mixture of black and purple ink, it leaves you with a professional feel, while adding a little color.

 

 

1. Paper Mate Inkjoy 700 RT – It feels like a quality pen, just by holding it. It’s heavy but not oversized; the grip is comfortable but not too cushy. The clicker is a strong feeling steel that won’t wear out and break like many competitor pens. It is the preferred pen of our President Dyan Condry, and like the ad say’s it’s a pen worth stealing.

Paper Mate InkJoy 700 RT Ballpoint Pen

Paper Mate InkJoy 700 RT Ballpoint Pen

Stack-and-Shred Wins 2013 SunDANCE Office Supply Championship!

Championannouncement-

Our 2013 Champion fought through possibly the hardest draw in the entire tournament. The Swingline Stack-and-Shred cross cut an early matchup with tournament heavyweight, 3M portable projector (https://www.sundanceoffice.com/sundance/outpost/item_details/MMMMP410) with a close 15-13 victory. Following the first round upset, the Stack-and-Shred made quick work of the tech favorite Logitech iPad Keyboard/Case (https://www.sundanceoffice.com/sundance/outpost/item_details/LOG920004013), coasting to a 10-5 vote margin in the second round.

After a week of hype and buildup, the Stack-and-Shred met tournament darling, the Safco Zenergy Ball Chair (https://www.sundanceoffice.com/sundance/outpost/item_details/SAF4750GS), with the upswing in health conscious office workers many predicted a Zenergy Ball Championship in 2013. It was not to be though, with a passionate voting block of business professionals who saw the unique time saving capabilities of the Stack-and-Shred. After the two traded early votes, the Swingline Stack-and-Shred slid by with an 11-10 voting victory over the Safco Zenergy Ball Chair.

The Championship pitted the underdog Stack-and-Shred against the ultra “cool” Dyson Bladeless Air Multiplier Fan (https://www.sundanceoffice.com/sundance/outpost/item_details/DYS2337001). Early voting had this matchup as a dead heat, but as voting extended it was clear the Dyson had no setting capable of blowing past the Stack-and-Shred. With a sound 31-16 voting edge, this year’s champion is the Swingline Stack-and-Shred Shredder! (https://www.sundanceoffice.com/sundance/outpost/item_details/SWI1757572)

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the voting on facebook!

Office Supply Bracket Challenge!

Office-Supply-Bracket-Challenge3

WHO NEEDS COLLEGE BASKETBALL WHEN YOU HAVE OFFICE SUPPLY BRACKETS?

HOW TO ENTER: Fill out the bracket with the office products you think will win in a popular vote. Then return your bracket by fax (918) 252-4110 or email to [email protected]. Brackets must be turned in by 5:00pm Monday, March 25th. Follow voting on facebook and earn entries to giveaways by voting for your favorite products!
HOW TO VOTE: Watch for “Office Supply Bracket Challenge” posts and write the name of the product you want to win in the comments section of each matchup. Facebook voting starts Tuesday, March 26th.
HOW TO WIN: The bracket earning the most points (predicting the most winners) WINS a $25 Target Gift Card! www.facebook.com/SunDANCEOfficeSupply


CLICK HERE TO VIEW BRACKET

SunDANCE 2013 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

SunDANCE NewYear1. Continue providing the best, most helpful customer service to every single customer who calls or emails us this year.

Our DANCE Partners are some of the best in the business at helping our customers and we want to build even better customer service this year. That’s why if you call in and hear your DANCE Partner is in a meeting, there’s a good chance they are participating in a training session, product seminar, or account review with managers. We do this to ensure we provide you with the most experienced and qualified DANCE team to help answer any supply question you may have. Keeping up with our FEEL THE LOVE slogan, we strive to accomplish this with a smile you can feel through the phone every time you call in and hear “It’s a FUN day at SunDANCE.”

2. Continue to improve the online shopping experience for our customers.

2012 was a great year for SunDANCE as we opened our website to allow link sharing and easier web navigation. In 2013 we will continue our push to be the premier online resource for purchasing office supplies online. For starters, a brand NEW FEATURE now allows customers the ability to customize and design their own custom stamps online quickly and easily with our new TRODAT micro-site. To access this new tool, search TRODAT on sundanceoffice.com, click the customize button (located where add to cart typically appears). This feature allows you to add logos, images, addresses, names and more to any available stamp you desire. Click here to view the tutorial video.

3. Provide the most accurate and timely delivery service to our customers with every order.

In 2012, we encountered positive challenges due to growth that caused us to rethink our everyday delivery practices. This evaluation spurred multiple changes in our warehouse and drivers’ responsibilities; because of these changes, in 2013 we are striving to see the highest order fulfillment rate in the 26-year history of our company.

We told you our New Year’s Resolutions, now tell us yours!

Reply to this post with your resolutions and be entered to win a FREE $10 Target Gift Card!

Target Gift Card imagePost a New Years resolution of your own for 2013 in the comments section below and be entered in a drawing to WIN a $10 Gift Card to TARGET. Share this post for an additional entry into the drawing.

Drawing will be held Monday, January 14th.