A cluttered work area leads to frustration and decreased productivity. If you work in an area that requires creativity, you may lack some of that creativity with too much clutter around you. The tips below will help you to organize your office for increasing your focus and productivity.
Purchase a Desk with Storage
A simple desk that does not take up much room is okay as long as you have zero paperwork to put on it. You do need room for typical supplies like pens/pencils, staples, paperclips and organized tabs for reports. Everything else, other than a small calendar, should be kept off of the desk. The more organized your immediate workspace is, the more productive you will be.
Keep Distractions Out of Sight
Anything that distracts you such as mobile devices with social media access, a television or an open window, should be removed from your sight. Log off of social media accounts. Turn the television off and consider noise canceling headsets to still enjoy nature with an open window but without the noise distraction.
Add a Creative Element
Your private workspace should have one little dedicated area for a creative inspiration piece. Whether it is a book, a painting or a photo, anything that helps you stay creative is helpful. When your mind is working and coming up with new ideas, it is productive.
Electronic Organization
Rather than keeping boxes of files and records in your office space, consider using an electronic organization program. You can use a scanner and an internal file system on your computer to save digital copies of every piece of paper you need for work purposes.
Organize after Each Project
It is a good idea to take a few moments after each task and put things away. Anything that you took out for one project but do not need for the next, should be placed back into its assigned space. Keeping clutter off of your desk keeps your mind focused on work and the next task you have to complete.Keeping unneeded items out on your desk all day means that more is going to join it. By the end of your day, half of your immediate work space could be taken up by items that you just did not feel like putting away when you were done with them. Get into the habit of cleaning as you go, just as professional chefs do in order to keep their immediate workspace free of debris, distractions, and potential hazards.
Dress for Work
It may not make sense to some, but in order to help your desk area and office space stay organized, you should still dress for work even if you are working remotely. If you have a video conference or meeting planned, your space needs to look neat and clean. You also need to look neat and clean. A clean, professional appearance helps you maintain productivity and stay on-task.
Include Natural Light or Natural Elements
Being closed off in a stuffy workspace is counter-productive. It makes working seem mundane, boring and displeasing. When you set up your own workspace area, make sure you have access to natural light. If you do not have a window in your office space, change your light bulbs to LED options and bring in a couple of small plants.
Give Yourself Room to Stretch
As you work to create your workspace, make sure you have room to stretch. A cramped workspace often leads to losing interest in the task at-hand. When designing a home office, make sure it is on the opposite side of the home to prevent clothes and other items from finding their way to the office. As you build a collection of dishes/silverware, clothes and beverage containers, it makes the space seem more like a general purpose room than an office space.
Final Thoughts
Your personal workspace does not need to look like it belongs to a minimalist, it just needs to be tidy and well-organized. Assign everything a place and remember to always put things back in their proper place. This requires a bit of diligence on your part, but it is only a second or two of extra effort. You will notice that your productivity will increase when your office space is neat, clean, organized, and fresh looking.
