With Marie Kondo’s rise to fame and the invasion of minimalism both in lifestyle and interior design, it’s clear why people like tidying up so much.
You might think that this is just a craze that will go away soon. Besides, having a cluttered area isn’t always bad. A messy desk can be stimulating and boost creativity.
But more benefits are associated with being organized. If you have too much clutter, it can stress you out and lead to unhealthy eating habits to cope. Thus, organized space can improve your mood and promote healthy eating choices.
And if you’re working from home, having a tidy workspace will boost your productivity and make you feel more motivated. To experience all these benefits, here are some ways to organize your desk.
Stick with the Essentials
The best way to cut the clutter is by only having the essentials on your desk. Consider what you need to use in an entire day of working on your desk. This may include your pens, a planner or a notebook, a calendar, and handheld devices.
After choosing your essentials, you need to remove the other things from your desk. You can either keep them in a drawer or a box. This way, you reduce distractions on your desk.
Sort Your Drawers
Speaking of drawers, you also need to organize them if you have them. When you do, consider grouping similar things together.
For example, you can put all your office supplies, such as staplers, paper clips, and tape, together in one drawer. They might be more suitable to put in the first tier if you find yourself reaching for these supplies often. If you have documents, put them in folders or envelopes and keep them in a separate tier. You can also put a label on the front of each tier of your drawer. This way, you can easily find and get what you need and save time.
Sort and Group Your Pens
If you use several pens, you need to sort them as well. This way, you can easily get what you need instead of rummaging through a big container of pens.
First, you need to try every pen and make sure they all work. Throw the pens that no longer write or have no ink left. If you have only one pen holder, consider grouping similar pens together. For example, all highlighter pens should be next to each other, all ballpoint pens together, and so on. But if you have more than one pen holder, then you might want to put all the pens together in one container and highlighters in another.
Keep the Wires Hidden
Your electronics can easily add clutter to your desk. Some examples include computer cables, handheld device chargers, and a desk lamp. If their wires are not properly organized, they’ll crowd your desk. You might even accidentally step or trip on them when you walk to and from your desk.
To prevent these dangers, you need to tuck away your wires. For example, you can use plumbing pipes for cord management. You can insert the cables in a pipe and attach it to the back of your desk. If the plugs don’t fit into the pipe, you can cut it in the middle and insert the cords sideways. This also makes for easy cleaning and re-organizing.
Clear Your Computer Desktop
Decluttering your desk doesn’t just involve your physical space but also your digital workspace. When you start working, the first thing you’ll see is your computer desktop. If it has several files and folders scattered all over, you might get overwhelmed and feel less motivated at work. The solution: tidy up your desktop.
First, you need to check each file. Leave the important files at the beginning and delete the rest. After, you need to sort what’s left. Check if the files are backed up in your cloud drive or email. If so, you can just delete them. If not, consider moving them to labeled folders with related files so that you can easily go back to them when needed.
Learn to Let Go
Lastly, you need to let go of your other things. Look at each non-essential item and ask yourself if you still need them or if you’ll be using them in the next few weeks. If not, it’s probably best to throw them away instead of letting them accumulate dust on your desk. Or if the things you have on your desk no longer spark joy, as Marie Kondo recommends, thank them and then toss them out.
Decluttering your desk can take a lot of time and effort. But the result will be worth it.
