It can be very easy to one day find yourself attempting to work in a mass of post-it notes and mounds of misplaced papers searching for that one pen that works. But clearing your desk can also feel like an unattractive task.
Here are 10 easy tips that will help you to create and maintain a tidy desk, so your mind can be free to focus on what is important:
#1 Clear Out
The journey to a clear desk and a clear mind must begin with a clear out.
Utilise your bin to as great an extent as possible. Anything that you do not regularly use should go.
Donate your excess stationery and lever-arch files to a school or charity. Recycle unneeded paperwork. Throw out pens that don’t work and the three thousand paper clips that you will never use.
Get your desk space down to the bare bones.
#2 Prime Position
Think of your desktop as a rather expensive piece of real estate. Only items which you use every day and have an important function should be rewarded with a spot here.
Whatever you use most should be within reach. This might be your office phone, your diary or a particular folder of essential documents.
Ensure your monitor, keyboard and mouse are well-positioned and central so as to improve your posture.
#3 The System
Anything that you have not awarded prime position needs to be integrated into a system.
For your essential paperwork, create a simple filing system that you can stick to. You might like a ‘To-Do’ and ‘Completed’ paper tray system.
Keep a neat and streamlined stationery drawer or box.
Lock away any valuable items in a secure drawer.
FlexiSpot’s Under Desk Drawer S01
Everything should have a place and everything should be in its place. Keep on top of your organisational systems to maintain a sense of calm and purpose about your desk. And you will never lose anything again!
#4 Digitise
The digital world can be a useful key to unlock more space and a tidier desk.
Digitise everything you possibly can. The time you invest sorting your digital organisation will be repaid by the space you will gain, the sense of calm which a depleted paper pile will bring, and the handiness of having all of your documents available at the push of a button.
Reducing your overall paper use will help you to maintain a clear desk. Regularly scanning in paper documents and refusing to print wherever possible will help you to stay organised.
Cloud-based storage options, like Google Drive or Microsoft’s OneDrive, are straight-forward to use and offer great organisational features.
Not only are your documents now secure, easy to organise and simple to access, you have made yourself more space!
#5 Use the Height
We often think of the available space of our desks as consisting of the worktop and perhaps a drawer or two. However, considering the height available above our desks can help to overcome any space shortages.
Using a monitor mount can create more worktop space and also help to improve posture. Many monitor mounts can even hold dual screens.
FlexiSpot’s Monitor Mount 10"-27" d1d
#6 Anti-Clutter
Resisting the urge to cover your desk with decorations and personal items can be tough.
Minimalism is the best rule to follow to ensure your desk is fit for purpose.
Restrict yourself to one personal item and one decorative item on your desk. You might opt for a health-boosting plant or a useful lamp. For your personal item, perhaps a photograph which brings back lovely memories or a piece of unnecessary but attractive stationery.
All other clutter should be removed to make space for functional items and for space itself.
#7 Eat Away from your Desk
As tempting as it is to scoff your lunch at your desk, those crumbs can cause havoc - especially if they escape into the keyboard.
Not only is it better for your wellbeing, productivity and digestion to eat away from your work desk, it is better for your desk’s hygiene too!
#8 Clean It
Speaking of the cleanliness of your desk, it is important to regularly wipe down your workspace.
After a global pandemic the necessity of cleaning regular touchpoints is common sense, yet our desks are often overlooked.
Wipe down your keyboard and mouse daily with a microfibre cloth (which you could keep handy in your desk drawer). Every week spend a moment dusting down your desktop.
Not only will this benefit your general health, it will also boost your mood (and therefore your productivity) when you next sit down at your sparkling desk space.
#9 Wires Away
The days of tangled wires clutching to your ankle are over!
Use a desk cable duct to keep your computer wires neatly tucked away, preventing entanglements. A DIY alternative can be a simple cable tie or a few large clips.
Adding a CPU holder underneath your desk will also create more space and make your desk area look tidier.
Now that you have found more space underneath your desk, you can utilise it more efficiently. A small set of drawers or a well-organised box can sit comfortably underneath a clear desk.
FlexiSpot’s Desk Cable Duct cmp502 and Adjustable CPU Holder CH1
#10 Maintain
Now that your desk is in prime condition, the trick is to maintain it.
This means being vigilant against the creep of clutter. It means wiping down your desk at least once a week. It means adhering to your new filing system and digital conversion.
Brighten your mood by adding a small plant or meaningful photograph to your desk. But remember that a clear and organised desk is a clear and organised mind.
