My minimal desk setup

Welcome at my desk, take a sit. For years, my workspace resembled a digital archaeologist’s dig site—layers of peripheral detritus, tangled cables, and screensavers fighting for visual dominance. It was a chaotic symphony, a testament to the idea that a busy mind equals a cluttered space. However, as I deepened my dive into the Linux ecosystem and its ethos of efficiency and control, I realized my environment wasn’t just a reflection of my work; it was actively shaping it. This epiphany led me down the rabbit hole of minimalist desk setups, and what I discovered transformed not only my workspace but also my productivity and peace of mind.

My journey to minimalism wasn’t about deprivation; it was about intentionality. It was about stripping away the non-essentials to make room for what truly matters: focus, comfort, and efficiency. This post will detail why I now advocate for a clean, ergonomic, and thoughtfully designed workspace.

The philosophy behind a clean slate

A minimalist desk transcends mere aesthetics; it’s a strategic choice for enhanced focus and reduced cognitive load. Every item on your desk, whether physical or digital, competes for your attention. By meticulously removing clutter, you effectively eliminate visual distractions, allowing your mind to concentrate solely on the task at hand.
This approach aligns seamlessly with broader principles of cognitive psychology, where a simpler environment demonstrably leads to improved concentration and less mental fatigue. As I discussed in my post on system UI design , reducing visual noise frees up mental resources. It’s about crafting an environment that supports deep work, rather than inadvertently hindering it with a constant barrage of extraneous stimuli. When your workspace is calm and organized, your mind is liberated to engage with complex problems without the subtle, subconscious pull of unnecessary objects.

Surrounding and environment

I specifically opt for no shelf below the monitor. This might seem counterintuitive to some who rely on monitor risers with integrated storage, but for me, it’s paramount to maintain a clear line of sight and an unobstructed workspace. Any item, no matter how small, placed directly beneath the monitor inevitably becomes a visual anchor, subtly drawing my eyes away from the screen and disrupting my focus.
Instead, my monitor is securely mounted on an arm, allowing for precise height, tilt, and depth adjustment. This ensures optimal ergonomics—keeping the top of the screen at eye level and an arm’s length away—without adding any visual bulk to the desk itself. The freedom of space beneath the screen is invaluable for maintaining a clean, open feel.

Furthermore, I prioritize having an adequate screen size for office work. This isn’t a pursuit of the largest possible display, but rather one that provides ample screen real estate without overwhelming the field of vision or requiring excessive head movement. For my daily tasks, a 27-inch 2K display strikes this sweet spot, offering crisp text and enough room for multiple windows, command-line interfaces, and documents to coexist comfortably without feeling cramped. The sharp resolution also reduces eye strain over long periods.

In case I need extra space - which is pretty uncommon since I use a powerful tiling windows manager - my laptop is placed at eye level to the side of my external monitor.

When it comes to illumination, my focus is firmly on good room lighting over a monitor lightbar. While lightbars certainly have their place for reducing screen glare or adding targeted ambient light directly behind the monitor, I find that a thoughtfully lit room, ideally with abundant natural light supplemented by strategically placed lamps, creates a far more balanced and comfortable environment.
Over-reliance on a single, focused light source can lead to uneven lighting, harsh shadows, and increased eye strain over time. My approach ensures consistent, soft illumination that minimizes the stark contrast between the bright screen and its surroundings, reducing eye fatigue.
With the same rationale in mind, I also took care to adjust my monitor brightness. For my laptop, the screen brightness and color auto adjust during the day.

Precision and comfort

The selection of input devices is absolutely critical for long-term comfort and sustained efficiency. My preference lies exclusively with an ergonomic mouse, and specifically, a trackball . The vertical design of these devices significantly reduces pronation of the wrist and forearm, a common and often overlooked contributor to repetitive strain injuries. They also allowfor fluid, precise cursor control without the necessity of moving my entire arm. The stationary nature of the trackball also means I require significantly less desk space, further contributing to the minimalist aesthetic I cherish.

The core of computer use: typing

Perhaps the most significant and rewarding change in my setup is my embrace of a split keyboard. After years of enduring traditional, monolithic keyboards, the ergonomic benefits of separating the keyboard halves became undeniably clear. My current setup features a Corne split keyboard , a compact 36-key wireless model that allows me to position each half independently. This freedom of placement enables me to align each half perfectly with my shoulders and natural arm angle, which dramatically alleviates wrist and shoulder strain and promotes a more open, relaxed posture.

The compact layout, while initially daunting, proved incredibly efficient once I adapted to its layered keymaps. It’s a powerful testament to how specialized, ergonomic tools, even those with an initial learning curve, ultimately contribute to a healthier and far more productive workflow. The ability to customize every aspect, from physical layout to key functions, aligns perfectly with the open-source philosophy I champion.

Conclusion

My minimalist desk setup is far more than just an aesthetic choice; it’s a deliberate commitment to a healthier, more focused, and ultimately more productive work life. By carefully selecting each component. Fom the intentional absence of a monitor shelf and thoughtful room lighting to an ergonomic trackball and a custom split keyboard, I’ve meticulously crafted a workspace that actively minimizes distraction and maximizes comfort. This intentional design philosophy liberates valuable mental resources, allowing for deeper concentration and a more enjoyable, less fatiguing computing experience. It’s a continuous process of refinement, as is often the case in the Linux world, but one that consistently yields significant, tangible benefits in my daily workflow.
Just as there isn’t a single app that can do everything, there isn’t one desk setup that will suit everyone’s needs and preferences. My desk setup is personal and has evolved over the years. In a world increasingly saturated with digital and physical clutter, I’ve found immense value in paring down to the essentials.