If you work from home and have set up an office space for yourself, sometimes life can get so hectic that clutter eventually piles up.
Being able to keep your home office organized is one of the greatest things you can do to clear your mind. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that multiple visual stimuli compete for neural representation. This simply means that the more clutter you see, the less able you are to concentrate.
Clutter divides attention, decreasing your performance.
To help you declutter, here are six hacks that will inspire you. Take a day or just a few hours to put at least three of these tips into action.
1. Have a place for everything.
I was recently invited to share my thoughts on how to be more organized, and one piece of advice I gave was this: Don’t own homeless stuff! Sort out your work tools such as pens, papers, clips, folders, and everything else that needs to be kept in a labeled container. When things have proper storage, you won’t waste time trying to find them.
2. Put a trash can in your office.
Knowing that you have a place to throw away used paper and food wrappers will help maintain the cleanliness of your space. A simple plastic wastebasket near your desk will do the trick.
3. Keep important stuff within arm’s length.
While working each day, you’ll probably be grabbing a pen and paper to jot down ideas and reminders. You might also be grabbing your favorite coffee mug for a coffee break in a few hours. Everything that you ONLY need on a regular basis should be what’s on your office desk. Unused stuff should go.
4. Label your cords.
Most of your device cords probably look the same. Figuring out which one goes for the mobile device or desktop, or which cord belongs to who (if you have another family member working in your office), can be stressful at times. Here’s a simple trick: Label those cords using washi tapes. Use different colors for different cords. Be sure to wrap the tape around the plastic area of a cord.
5. Make cleaning a daily habit.
At the end of your workday, don’t leave your desk without clearing it off first. Most people leave their space in a mess and start the next day seeing all that clutter. Set a positive tone as the day begins by decluttering the night before. Wipe your table clean, Throw away crumpled paper, etc. You get the idea.
6. Organize your books.
Got a book collection in your office? Instead of mindlessly stacking them, organize them for easier access. There are different ways to do it: (1) Display your best books front and center (2) Arrange them according to the topic or alphabetically (3) Group together books you haven’t read yet.
Final Thoughts
Organize your home office isn’t just about achieving visual appeal. It affects your thoughts and productivity. Keeping your physical space allows you to save time. It reduces stress and brings mental clarity. It will lighten your mental load. We hope this blog post helps!
