Are you sick of your desk being a mess? Well, as they say, prevention is better than cure. If you’re looking for ways to end desk messiness forever, read on for six of our best tips to keep your desk well-organised for good!
1. LET’S START WITH THE BIGGEST TIP: MINIMISE TECH, MAXIMISE SPACE
“What,” I hear you ask, “you mean it’s not always better to have three monitors, special dials, fifteen digital pens, a subwoofer, and whatever else?”
Don’t get me wrong: tech isn’t bad. (It’s especially good if you’ve got a hands-on digital job, like graphic design.) But, funnily enough, it’s not always the best for you in your situation to load yourself with tech—despite what the tech companies which stand to profit might say!
Setting big computer monitors, towers, speakers, etc, on your desk will make your workspace feel crowded. If you add to that a telephone, personal phone, tablet, digital assistant, and whatever else, it’s so easy for your desk to become all tech and nothing else. Even if your job is 100% computer-based, having so much around you is likely to crowd out your mind and your ability work in different ways.
Try reducing what you “need”. If you don’t really need to work with three screens, but try reducing it to two or even just one. If it’s a realistic move for you to make, you could even try eliminating the computer altogether—something worth considering if you have a very small desk. You won’t know yourself with all the space you have!
Also, if you’ve got some extras you only need every now and then (such as computer speakers, docks for special devices, or the extra monitor), try keeping them away from your desk in storage, preferably in a different room.
2. IF YOU HAVE A COMPUTER, MAKE SURE YOU POSITION IT PROPERLY
To get this right, all you need is to cross-reference your current workspace with a simple diagram, like the one below published by WorkSafe Queensland. If you want the nitty gritty detail on the ergonomics of computer workstations (which is where this diagram comes from), check out their guide here.
3. DÉCOR IS FINE, KEEP IT TO A MINIMUM
What’s this, a home decoration company telling you not to buy loads of home décor?
Well, not quite. We’re just as obsessed with décor as the next home decorating fanatic; we just don’t think it should be clogging your desk.
Photo frames are the classic culprit—you don’t need fifteen photos of your new cat! But, a photo of your family or friends which makes you smile—or, if you’re running a business, which might spark amiable conversation with your clients—may be just what you need to help you get through those crucial moments of the working day.
Alternatively, if you still want lots of photos but none of the clutter, try a multi-frame.
4. LEARN TO FILE
Documents here, documents there, documents where you never thought documents could find themselves before—working in a busy office can be a real mess, even in the digital age!
Luckily, the filing cabinet is here to help. Slotted under your desk or elsewhere unobtrusively in your office, this humble piece of furniture will save precious hours you could be spending building, drafting, brainstorming, socialising, negotiating, calculating, or doing whatever else you need to do to keep the income going (or even doing nothing).
And the good news is, neither filing nor your filing cabinet have to be boring! Keep reading here to find out more.
5. KEEP IT CLEAN
A clean desk does something truly sensational to the brain (though, apparently, messy desks can have benefits too). It helps you declutter your thought processes and is correlated with healthy eating and generous behaviour (yep, seriously!).
This is even more essential if you run a business. Though, as a businessperson, there’s a very fine line: a messy desk will make you look like a slob who can’t get anything done, but a desk which tidied and polished to the extreme will make you look like you never have anything else to do! (Another reason why we love reclaimed timber: you can polish it to look clean, but never to the point of it looking sterile.)
In this process, cleaning your furniture is just the beginning. Look at the entire room: does the floor need vacuuming? Are there cobwebs hanging from the ceiling? Is there sticky dust clinging onto your fans?
Once you’ve finished tidying, it’s good to get in the habit of keeping things tidy as you go. A simple trick is to bundle your computer cords together (or abandon them altogether and go wireless, if possible). You can buy special ties made for the purpose, but personally I prefer to use old rubber bands. The small, fat ones are best, like the ones grocers use to hold bundles of veggies together.
6. FINAL TIP: ADD SOME GREENERY!
If you've read our other blogs, this tip should come as no surprise. Greenery has been proven time and again to improve your productivity, creativity, and mood. (And if you're happier, you'll be in the mood to tidy more often, right?)
Pro tip: make sure you choose plants you are willing to take care of. If you're the sort of person who doesn't even have to think to water their plants every day or as needed, then you can choose practically any indoor plant. But if you're new to all of this and/or you're the sort of person who only remembers to water a plant once every few weeks, then you need something hardy. (Hint: go for succulents!)
We also sell a range of artificial flowers, fruit, and foliage for those out there whose thumbs don’t have even the slightest tinge of green. These are also handy if you’re interested in artistic takes on flowers, fruit, and foliage, rather than replicas of the real things.
