With the average person spending around 37.5 hours a week at work, it can be easy for clutter and dirt to build up on your desk. Unfortunately, this mess could be detrimental to your levels of productivity.With anew study revealing that 51% of Brits consider decluttering to be therapeutic and beneficial to their overall mental health, it may be time to try it yourself. Here are some reasons why a regular desk clean can make a huge difference to your efficiency in the workplace.
Not having to desperately search for important documents amongst the clutter on your desk, especially on a tight deadline,can save you a lot of time.When everything has a place, you don’t have to stress about locating vital documents. The less time wasted searching for what you need, means more time to focus on getting projects completed on time. In turn, this can reduce stress and mean you get to leave work on time – helping to even out your work/life balance in the process. So, invest some time to clean and organise your desk to give yourself more time for the important things.
- Better levels of concentration
Neon coloured sticky notes, notifications alighting phone screens and other pieces of work on your desk can provide unnecessary distractions and reduce your overall productivity.Keep documents and items that are needed for the task at hand next to you while you’re working to reduce the potential distractions from other projects. Then, return them to its folder when you’re finished. This way, you can give your project your full and undivided attention.
- A happier environment
When you’re working 9-5, 5 days a week, that’s a large portion of your day spent at work. This means it’s important to create a happy and healthy working environment that boosts your morale.You may be surprised how relaxing and freeing a clean and tidy desk can be so, particularly if you’re someone who’s become accustomed to an untidy desk.Give desk cleaning a go and see how you feel for a week. However you like to work, it’s vital to carve out the time to ensure the space around you makes you feel relaxed and comfortable.
- Fewer absences
It’s hard to perform at your very best when you feel unwell. Getting sick can bring production to a halt, and the source of the germs could be your desk. Your keyboard, mouse and desk surface can be home to a whole host of unpleasant germs and bacteria that may affect your health if it’s not cleaned and sanitised regularly. This is more so if your desk moonlights as a breakfast table or the lunch canteen, so a daily wipe down is imperative. If the company you work for doesn’t employ a regular cleaner, be proactive and take the time to disinfect your workspace by keeping cleaning wipes in your desk drawer. This way, you can enjoy a better sense of wellbeing and maximise your efficiency in the workplace.
A few tips to tidy up your desk:
Migrate to digital
Swap to digital, if you can. Not only is this a greener way to go, but it can also significantly reduce the paper-based clutter on your desk. Another benefit to this is the additional layer of protection if all your work is on a password-protected server and not on your desk for passers-by to see.
Be brutal
If it is not essential to your work or current projects and doesn’t need to be filed away, dispose of it. This goes for everything; out-dated documents, scribbles on scraps of paper and old notebooks. Recycle what you can and bin anything you can’t. Additionally, clearing away old sandwich boxes, plates and coffee cups to the kitchen will offer up more desk space and provide fewer distractions.
Storage system
Obtain a stationery pot or holder to house any stationery that might be strewn across your desk. This way you know exactly where all your tools are and ensure they are still accessible. Filing systems, folders and project dividers are good items to utilise in order to store all relevant documents that you need to keep. Once you have a good system in place, it is easy to maintain with a weekly organisation check-in.
