How To Control Desk Clutter

Desks are the heartbeat of a professional, productive home, in which anything more than lounging and relaxing is embraced and facilitated. More and more people are working from home, at least for part of the week, so having a clear, well-ordered desk is essential.

Therapy

Tidying and arranging is an act of therapy, in which you can gain control over the first portion of your day. You can only do a certain amount of work each day, and to be confronted with a messy mountain of paperwork, keyboard and mouses and clutter is likely to make you less productive and more stressed throughout the day. See this act as a form of relaxation and wellbeing; cheaper than what a therapist might charge.

Replace Your Desk-Top

Desk-top computers are powerful and sturdy but take up acres of valuable space. If you’ve had your computer a few years, consider trading it in for a laptop, or donating it to a nephew or niece. Laptops have the advantage of being stored anywhere, and they take up a minimal amount of space. You’ll be surprised by how liberating this can be.

Maximize Your Drawers

By using all of your drawers, and purchasing some inexpensive trays on the desk, you can create space where none existed before. The large expanse in front of you is both calming and inviting. The act of organizing all your paperwork and files into specific places will also help you to prioritize what is important. Instead of an inbox and outbox, you can organize drawers into ascending degrees of priority.

Go Book Free

Books are a luxury these days; they can be enjoyed in bookcases in a place which is for relaxing rather than for meeting deadlines. They take up a lot of space including your desk lamps, and can easily end up on your desk, half-read or un-read. Try to make your work area as focused and streamlined as possible. Less mess means more productivity and more time in which to enjoy the slower things in life.

Re-Locate

If your office is in a large space in which other things are going on, consider moving your personal office/desk to a smaller room in the house, a room which is devoted solely to the demands of completing specific projects. Unless absolutely necessary, de-activate the wi-fi and get on with the important tasks your boss has set you, perhaps using another device in another room in order to check in with the team.

Buy Some Toys

Contrary to popular belief, some newer executive or office toys can actually be a healthy distraction, giving you a 5 or 10 minute break which is away from the seductive glare of electronic devices and internet surfing. You are far less likely to waste 30 minutes, but more likely to spend 5 or 10 minutes playing with it, and the tactile quality of many of these toys is refreshing parts of the brain which haven’t been used when crunching the numbers or writing those reports.

Source:

Cleaning Your Desk & Work Area – University of Nebraska–Lincoln