Is Your Desk is a Garbage Dump? How to Keep It Clean and Tidy

Organizing your computer desk can save you a lot of time and headache. The more organized, clutter-free, and straightforward your desk is, the easier it will be to use.

People who have cluttered desks often lose important paperwork or other small items between stacks of papers and random objects on their desk. This can slow down work flow if they can't find a pen to make a note with, lose their phone, can't locate a piece of paper they need.

Many people who work from home have messy, cluttered desks because they spend most of their time in the same place working. Even if you have a standing desk, you'll find it tends to get just as cluttered as a sitting desk.

Because cluttered desks cause stress and anxiety, the best thing you can do is develop habits to stay organized and keep your desk clean.

Stay Organized

To stay organized you should keep everything at your desk in its place.

Use small trays or boxes to organize smaller things, like paper clips and rubber bands, into groups. You can use a paperclip holder or egg carton for this purpose.

If you have a lot of papers, you should file them in folders that are labeled with the type of paper, or at least put them in specific piles.

Do not leave your desk messy for long periods of time. If something is not where it should be when you are trying to use it, go ahead and clean off your desk so that there is nothing on it but the item you need.

Stay Productive

Staying organized will help you stay productive.

If your desk is unorganized and cluttered, it may take you longer to find things you need to work on a project. Keeping everything at your fingertips keeps you focused and efficient.

Avoid having too many distractions around your desk that might cause you to become unproductive.

The clean, open space of an organized desk also creates a clean and open mind, ready to tackle the task at hand.

Tips For Staying Organized At The Computer

If you are at your computer, take a moment to organize the items on your desk.

Move any papers that need to be typed into piles organized by priority. Be sure to use separate folders for each type of document you have created so they can be easily found later. If you have printed things out, organize them in separate stacks of what is complete and what needs to be worked on.

Move pens and paper clips into the holder or cup you keep at your desk as well as any post-it notes that need to be used.

When you finish your work, make sure that everything is put away in its correct location on your desk.

A cluttered computer desk will prevent you from working quickly or efficiently because you can't find things that are necessary for work.

Stay organized at the computer to avoid wasting time searching for items.

Tips For Staying Organized While Working From Home

When you work from home, it is easy to get distracted and let things pile up.

Avoid this by making a schedule for yourself so that you know when you will work each day and what tasks you need to focus on. Make sure your desk is clean before starting, and if possible, use a dedicated desk for work, rather than sitting at your kitchen table.

Do not leave any dishes or laundry on your desk, because it will add even more messy items to your desk. If you finish your coffee, finish your snack, or take off your sweatshirt because it has warmed up, take a minute to stand up and put the item where it goes. Moving around a little will probably do you some good.

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Benefits of Staying Organized

Organized people are less stressed and more productive. In the long run, staying organized is a great way to boost your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Organized people have been shown to be better at making decisions because they can see things clearly without getting overwhelmed by clutter.

Organized people also tend to be happier.

Stay Organized In Your Files Too

The physical objects around your computer are one thing, but you can also apply many of these principles to what happens on your computer as well.

Is your desktop a total mess? Take time every so often to delete old screenshots and relocate old files.

What about common types of files that you often create? For example, if you commonly take notes during meetings, use a meeting notes template for that kind of meeting in order to speed up your process and make your notes consistent. This is generally best done online, like when using meeting management software.

Summary: Staying organized at your desk

These tips will help you stay organized at your computer desk. Stay motivated to work hard and get through any clutter to make sure that your desk is clean when you are done with your day's work. Keeping things in order will help you avoid stress and anxiety, which can lead to an easier time staying productive while working from home or in the office.