How to Maintain Your Office Organized and Clutter-Free

We all want to be as productive as possible during work hours. However, sometimes we are so distracted by all the clutter around us that we just cannot focus on the work in front of us. Regardless of whether you work from home, have an office in your company or work in open layout space, we’ve gathered some tips for keeping your workplace neat and tidy. Take a look.

Decide what you need

The first thing you have to do is decide which items are necessary for you to do your job. Is a computer all you need? Do you work with a lot of papers and folders? Do you have family pictures and various snacks on your desk? You should make a list of all the things that you think you will use during the week. Once the week has passed, you can check the list and see what you didn’t need and get rid of it.

Minimize the clutter

Now that you know what you need in order to do your job, you should dispose of all items that are just creating clutter on your desk. Never let trash or useless trinkets pile up. If you work with a lot of documents, have two stacks – the incoming work and the finished tasks. You can use trays for this as they will keep your desk surface neat and as clutter-free as possible. If you have drawers, use them to put away all supplies, such as cables and pens, which you are not using at the moment.

The principle is the same if you work in a bigger office. All employees should go through their supplies and see what they don’t need – check whether a particular item can be used anywhere in the office; if not, donate or throw it away. Moreover, seeing as how paper usually creates most of the clutter, documents that have already been digitized should be filed away for good or shredded if you no longer need them. Also, think twice before you print something – does it really need to be in physical form?

Create a space for everything

Earlier, we mentioned putting things in drawers. However, that doesn’t mean you should stuff your drawers full of things you don’t need and hide everything away from sight. Organize your drawers and know exactly what is in them. Once you need a USB, for example, it will be hard to find it in all the mess. You can use drawer dividers or smaller boxes to know what goes where and that will make everything much tidier.

Furthermore, every other thing should have its place. In case you have a room for all your supplies, make sure it’s organized so that everyone knows where to find what they need. Have a space for pens, scissors, paperclips, staplers, business cards and everything else your business requires in order to run properly.

Come up with clever solutions

If you don’t have a supplies room, you should look into other storage solutions. Consider going vertical as that will not take too much of your floor space and you will still have a place to store everything. You can also think about a basket trolley as it can be useful when you have to move things such as mail or smaller items from one place to another and they can make everything more practical. Large containers or file holders can also help keep all documents related to a project in the same place.

Additionally, look for equipment that has multiple purposes. For example, a printer that can be used as a scanner as well will give you more space. Moreover, installing a recycling bin will allow for faster disposal of things.

Don’t eat at your desk

It might seem practical to eat lunch while finishing up a project. Sure, multitasking can sometimes pay off but not here. You could potentially create a big mess at your desk and you really do not need this extra work. Accidentally spilling your drink on your documents or having crumbs in your keyboard will just affect your productivity and having dirty mugs and plates on your desk will create unnecessary clutter. So, go outside or to the cafeteria as you should also get a break from work.

Clean up after yourself

At the end of your workday, take a couple of minutes to clean up your desk. Put everything where it belongs and throw away the trash. Dedicating just a few minutes of your day to this means that tomorrow you will have a clear desk waiting for you and you will not have to waste time on decluttering. Encourage your co-workers to do the same and you will have a pleasant office space.

Maintaining your office’s tidiness does not mean that you have to completely depersonalize it. You can keep a few photos of your loved ones, a plant or something that makes you happy on your desk as these things can serve as great mood boosters and motivators. The important thing is to keep the clutter to a minimum, throw away the trash right away and don’t leave unfinished projects lying around. Implementing some smart storage and equipment options is the best way to stay organized.

Nick Brown is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged in projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business, and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does Audio/Video editing as a hobby.