A Simple Guide To Decluttering Your Desk And Mind

They say that mess is a sign of creativity. Stacks of paperwork and used stationaries cry out to be dealt with, but long tedious work hours leave most with little mental capacity to consider the benefits of organisation.

The bigger the clutter, the more stress is added to the job at hand as important notes and documents are lost amidst the mess. Additionally, the longer the problem persists, the more discouraged one might feel. It is therefore important to tackle clutter as a functional workspace impacts productivity significantly.

Keeping organised does not have to be difficult; we discuss a few simple tricks to tackling clutter and disorganisation. Simplicity and space optimisation is the key to having a stress free and well functioning workspace. Here are five simple guides to decluttering your desk and mind.

Organise Upwards

With easily obtainable equipment, you can optimise desk space and be well on your way to a clutter free workspace. Laptops and computers usually take up a significant portion of your desk. By using a monitor mount, you can not only adjust its height and reduce strain on your body by setting it directly at eye level, but also use the available space for other equipment, such as a mini cabinet or filing system to help you further organise your station.

Cords and Cables

Lifehacker suggests several tips and guides that will help you manage and organise your cords and cables. By using small purchases from Ikea such as a wire basket, or even using paper clips, you can create DIY cable holders to keep the wires from getting tangled up. If DIY is not something you are adventurous enough to try, experts suggest using cable drop clips, of a sumo cable box to keep your cables in line.

The alternative is to go wireless altogether. New technology has made it possible to connect monitors to other devices wirelessly. This investment saves time and effort, and makes it significantly easier to manage the workspace.

Go Digital

Instead of having tangible copies of documents, make it a habit to have it stored or scanned into a portable storage device. It is much easier to organise a desktop by creating a digital folder to store new documents than to physically go through hundreds of paper everyday. Since most of your work is saved as digital memory, this should foster a sense of urgency to completely deal with any document that has been printed out. Additionally, for an extra sense of security, take advantage of software such as Microsoft Outlook, Excel, or even Google Mail to store your documents.

Do Not Horde

According to Business Management Daily, 28% of employers say they are less likely to promote a messy employee. As such, keep a bin ready and throw away any unimportant document in the bin. Consider a minimalistic approach, what needs to be on your desk? When is it a good time to get rid of the birthday card you received from the company 3 years ago? If the document is not urgent enough to be addressed immediately, get rid of it.

Pre and Post Work Ritual

Make it a habit to set aside 5 minutes to clean up the desk before and after work. Challenge yourself to a small cleaning task everyday. A little progress each day will allow you to eventually achieve the desired result- An impressively tidy work desk.

Desk clutter can lead to stress but it does not have to be difficult to address. Optimise space, take advantage of the capabilities that technology has to offer by storing important files online or in a storage device, and most importantly, be proactive with organisation.