For us not-so-neat freaks out there, our office desks tend to get a little cluttered from time to time. Taking the time to reorganize your workspace can bring some much needed mental relief and help you regain your productivity. Here are some tips on how to do this.
Start with a Clean Surface
First, move everything off your desk and onto the floor. Then take an inventory of your essential items. Throw away or put in storage anything that is no longer needed, such as paper scraps, old notes, or whatever didn’t make it into the trash. You should also use this as an opportunity to wipe your desk down so that it’s free of dust and coffee rings.
Prioritize Desk Items
The first thing you should put on your desk is your most frequently used items. This will likely be your computer/laptop, mouse, and keyboard. Be sure to wipe any smudges or dust off these items and to reserve a space for them to prevent your desk from becoming too crowded.
Near your computer you should place your other often-used items in easy access spots. A good place to put these items is your top desk drawers or near your computer. Your desk drawers should also be organized so that you know exactly where each item is. For instance, you could place all of your writing utensils in one section of the drawer and other office supplies such as your stapler and paper clips in another.
Other less frequently-used items can be stored in the bottom drawers or at the far end of the desk. A nearby filing cabinet or shelf is also a good spot for storing these kinds of items. Be sure not to let these areas become a dumping ground for lower-priority materials. You can organize your papers by date, type, or alphabetically. Just make sure you’re using some kind of system so that you know exactly where certain items can be found.
Use a Desk Box
Desk boxes are great for keeping loose papers categorized and within reach. You can designate each shelf for a specific purpose. For example, if you have a three shelf desk box, you can designate the top shelf for completed papers, the middle shelf for papers you’re currently working on, and the bottom for ones you’ve yet to do.
Use Sticky Notes/Reminders
Placing sticky notes at the bottom of your monitor can be a good way to prioritize your tasks. You can also set up reminders on your computer to pop up at certain times throughout the day to keep you on schedule.
We hope that these tips will help you relieve some mental stress and regain your productivity.
