For many of us, the home office is our sanctuary, a place where we can relax and concentrate while getting things completed. It’s the ideal we aim for. However, after a while, things may get out of hand. For instance, my husband Chad and his office. It’s currently quite messy because he spends so much time prepping for the weekly video that his office clutches cameras, magazines, books, and other items.
If we’re focused on our work, it’s easy to lose focus on the surroundings. Here are some ways to organize and clean your workplace to maintain your productivity at high levels!
Clear Desk, Clear Mind
The more disorganized your desk gets, the more likely you will get distracted. As quickly as you are distracted, you do more work, And it’s not just me that says this. A large amount of research shows that clutter (or multiple stimuli, as these fancy studies describe them) blocks the visual field of your brain and, consequently, causes brain fog to develop. That’s right, your brain isn’t sure which to make of all the visual stimulation that’s going on at work!
Fortunately, the answer is easy: Make your desk as tidy as possible. It is best to keep only things you’re working on on your desks. Anything else, such as a storage bin or filing cabinet, must be stored elsewhere.
A neat, tidy desk can help you to get more done with your work. It also creates a feeling of peace in your workplace.
Group Similar Items Together
Chad has used a set of drawers at his desk since moving into this house around three years ago. They are used to store tools, cords, documents, user guides, camera equipment, adapters, electronic equipment, and all kinds of odd things. In essence, it’s a storage space for items that need a home, which is. It’s an unorganized mess.
The lack of organization makes it difficult to find cables or any other thing if you require it, which is the issue in this case. The idea is to reduce these drawers into smaller storage bins and drawers and utilize some tech to arrange things so that it is easier to locate them in the future.
Examining every item and eliminating anything old, damaged, or otherwise useless. The items you find can be donated to charity, recycled, or tossed away.
We’ll now collect what’s left and put similar items; for example, office equipment will be placed in one location, cables, cords will be in a different place, user manuals in another, and so on.
Prune Your Paper Piles
After we’ve put the entirety of our paperwork in one location, now is the time to start cutting down on the amount of paper you have on your desk. Start by placing all your documents in one pile. Then, you’ll take each piece of paper one at a time and decide what to do with it. Three things are likely to occur:
If it’s a crucial document that needs to be dealt with shortly, place it in a single pile – put them all together on your desk, and take care of them as soon as possible.
Suppose it’s a significant piece of paper that doesn’t require immediate intervention, but you’re needed to save it for documents, for reasons of taxation, or something else. In that case, it should be placed in the filing cabinet or bin.
It’s not an essential piece of paper. You can slash it up or reuse it.
Tame Your Cords
While technology has made our lives more convenient, it also leaves an enormous mess beneath our desks. The stray cables, wires, and cords look ugly and could easily be broken or tripped over if placed in a pile.
There’s no shortage of products to help you control an unruly mess of cords. Think about using flexible tubes (found at many hardware and dollar shops) to keep cables in place and effortlessly be tied to the bottom of your desk.
Consider using an electronic cable box that keeps all your cords in a compact package instead of tangled beneath your desk.
Get Creative With Space
I’m sure I’ve discussed this in various articles on organizing; however, using storage space to store things can be a clever way to reduce clutter, especially in small areas such as an office at home.
Vertical space is among my favorite ways to accomplish this. You can use the walls to store files, papers, or other things and keep a variety of items on the outside of your door by hanging an organizer, leaving you with abundant storage space.