Eyes, posture and the physical side of a trading desk

[Shadow Trader]

Long sessions punish the body. Dry eyes, stiff necks and sore wrists are common, and they quietly reduce focus.

Basics that make a difference:

- Monitor top at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away.

- Chair supporting the lower back, feet flat on the floor.

- Lighting that avoids glare, with brightness matched to the room.

- The twenty-twenty-twenty habit: every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds.

- Hands relaxed on the mouse, with a hotkey setup that reduces repetitive clicking.

Discomfort distracts, and distraction costs money. A trader fidgeting with a sore back is not fully present for the next setup.

None of this is glamorous, and the returns are real.

Standing desks and a simple timer that prompts a posture change every hour are cheap fixes, and some traders find that alternating sitting and standing keeps energy steadier through long sessions.

What would be the single most useful change to the desk setup right now?