Clutter affects our brains and how we approach work. While spontaneity and freedom are great, humans also enjoy and work better within some degree of order and structure, according to a study out of Princeton University. The average person will spend about 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime, so ensuring that your work space is not only productive, but relaxing and conducive to your happiness and health will go a long way in making those hours beneficial. This article will discuss how to declutter and optimize your office space so that you can be more productive, efficient and happy at work!
Clear Your Desk
One of the first things you can do to declutter your workspace is to declutter your desk. This means getting rid of any unnecessary papers, pens, post-it notes that are taking up valuable real estate on your desk. You might even want to implement the minimalist approach, which focuses on having as little “stuff” around as possible. Once you have decluttered your desk, you can move on to decluttering the rest of your office space. This may include decluttering your computer desktop, decluttering your office supplies, decluttering your filing system, etc.
Set up Your Space Comfortably
It is not only important to keep your desk clear of distractions and clutter, but to also ensure your work space is comfortable and safe. Occupational overuse syndrome (OOS) is common in office environments due to repetitive movements and awkward postures, but by making small changes to your environment, it is possible to prevent OOS from occurring or at least minimize the symptoms.
The best ways to ensure your space is comfortable and safe are:
- Ensure your chair, mousepad and mouse have ergonomic features.
- Incorporate a stand up desk if sitting for an extended period causes back or neck pain.
- Keep your laptop at eye line productivity.
- Have high quality lighting to reduce eye strain and fatigue (as well as increased mood and energy!).
- Get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones so you are not distracted by the office sounds when attempting deep work and trying to focus.
Create a storage system
Doing cleanups is great, but if your storage and filing system is non-existent, you will be constantly fighting a losing battle. There are many ways to declutter your workspace and keep it decluttered, but the best ways to keep incoming documents and paperwork under control are utilizing organizational tools, such as:
- Filing cabinets
- Drawer and file organizers
- Paper drawers and letter trays
- Drawer dividers
- Cable boxes
By implementing a system of real-time organization and having specific places for things to be filed, you can take the stress out of the minutiae of your day-to-day work life.
Zen Your Space
Decluttering your space is just the start. Once you have created a minimalist workspace that is more functional and less stressful, you can start to decorate and curate our space to make it an enjoyable place to be. One way to do this is to add plants, art or even a mini zen garden to your office space. Research suggests that plants help improve productivity and focus, as well as reduce stress levels, so go green and get zen!
Research also suggests that color affects our mood and productivity, with red thought to be energizing, blue aiding concentration, yellow elevating mood and green creating balance and relaxation. Check out the findings from color psychology studies and use this science to decorate your space appropriately!
Get rid of your rubbish
Doing a quick cleanup of the office can turn up more waste than you initially thought. It is important to do regular clean-ups, and to remove any waste, rubbish and items that are taking up space and the best way to do this is to hire professional rubbish removalists to get rid of it for you. You’re busy at work and don’t have time to be doing rubbish runs or even trips to the tip (if you’re making big changes), so outsource the work to pros who will get it done without you having to lift a finger.
Schedule Cleanups
It is not enough to do one cleanup and then let things start to pile up again. Stay on track of the clutter by creating a cleaning schedule to optimize your work space, remove any clutter that is necessary and freshen up your work area. Regularly cleaning your desk is a great method for ensuring that clutter doesn’t pile up and overwhelm you.
Work is a part of life, but being miserable while there should not be! Make decluttering and optimizing your workspace a priority so your work environment can be an enjoyable place to be. This will maximize your focus and productivity, but more importantly, it will keep your mental and physical health in optimal shape.
