If there are people who have mastered the art of workstation cleanliness before remote working, they would be digital media professionals. A few examples of these tech-oriented workers are SEOs, bloggers, vloggers, graphic artists, photographers, videographers, and streamers.
They understand that workstation cleanliness is vital for their job because it helps them focus more and perform at their best while spending hours in front of a computer. With that said, here are tips you can learn from them to keep your table tidy and boost your productivity.
1. Use cord hangers
If your desk work involves a lot of audio-related stuff, it’s no surprise that you’ll be using a lot of wires. It’s best that you stick a cord hanger to your wall to put these cords. Not only will it make your space look organized, but it will also prevent accidents such as cable trippings.
2. Clean your area regularly with a microfiber cloth
Desks are efficient dust magnets, especially if your office takes in outdoor air. You must clean your desk and peripherals with a microfiber cloth regularly because it takes in more dirt compared to cotton. This way, you’ll prevent your hardware from clogging and damage.
3. Store the things you don’t need daily
We’re all guilty of leaving one or a few items that we won’t always use on our workstations. Things like paper, folders, scissors, and scotch tapes are commonly seen strewn all over an average worker’s desk. If your table has a drawer, store these things inside. Otherwise, put them in a cardboard box and place that box under your station.
4. Keep personal decorations to a minimum
Too many personal decorations can interrupt our train of thought. One family portrait, framed favorite quote, or a pot of succulent is already enough to make your desk reflect your personality. Don’t have them all on one table and avoid bringing more non-office-related stuff to your workstation.
5. Digitize as much as possible
Paper is the #1 culprit for taking up a lot of office and desk space. It’s best to have your files encoded and stored in a flash drive or cloud.
6. Bundle wires and cables
Image source: Amazon
If your table isn’t beside a wall or there’s to place to stick your cord hangers, you can use self-adhesive cable management clips or velcro one-wraps. You can stick the former to the side or under your desk and is best used to organize wired peripherals. The latter is more useful for network and power cables.
7. Keep the things you always need near your dominant hand
Your water bottle, pen, phone, two-way radio, stress ball, and hand sanitizer are essentials that should be easy to grab. Put them on the left side of your desk if you’re left-handed. Otherwise, position them on the right side.
8. Group similar items together
Pen, folders, paper, sticky notes, stamps, and staples are office supplies that have similar or interconnected purposes. They should be stored or organized near each other in a specific area of your workstation or in a designated drawer. By the time you’ll need to do a task that involves writing, you can easily get all you need in one go.
9. Save space for paperwork
One common problem that people who mostly work in front of computers face is that they scramble to find a space where they’re about to sign documents. Avoid using a wide mousepad, especially if your table is small. Always leave space on your desk that you can use for pen and paper tasks.
10. Experiment with different desk arrangements
Each one of us has a different style of workflow. Some work on a left-to-right pattern while others follow a piling system. Try out different styles until you find an arrangement that feels natural to you and is streamlined to make you more productive.
A friend of mine once said, “Don’t think twice about spending money and putting in the effort to make your workstation clean and beautiful. It’s an investment that won’t only make you productive, but will also make your work more enjoyable.”
Discover more office organizing tips here!
- Less Is More: How to Declutter Your Home Office to Make Room for Productivity
- 6 Hacks to Declutter Your Office for Mental Clarity
- Digital Declutter: How to Spring Clean Your Digital Space for Better Focus
- A Solopreneur’s Guide to Creating a Home Office (And Staying Productive)
- 7 Tools Solopreneurs Should Have to Work Efficiently
