The most cluttered desks are sometimes presented under the guise of creative chaos. Working at desks like this may work for leisure, but professional, structured and efficient work is often not possible this way. Too much time is wasted searching for pens or notes, and work often does not get done.
It is not difficult to organize the desk in such a way that it remains tidy in the long term. Which tips work simply and quickly, we report in this article.
This is what a tidy desk does
A tidy desk is much more inviting to take a seat and get started than a cluttered desk piled high with work that has been left lying around or that still needs to be done. Certainly, the work will not become less just because the desk is tidy, but it can be done much more effectively.
So these are some of the benefits of a tidy desk:
- it is inviting,
- it is hygienic,
- it enables focused work,
- it saves time and
- it minimizes the risk of accidents in the office.
If you want to do your work effectively and with focus, you should not have to constantly search for small items such as erasers, ballpoint pens, glue sticks, etc. On the one hand, the focus is shifted away from the actual work, and on the other hand, valuable working time is lost. Uncluttered desks can therefore definitely play their part in not getting the workload done.
And even colorful paper clips, which are much easier to see than the monochrome ones, are of little use if they disappear under documents, letters and paper almost without a trace and can’t be found.
By the way: Ergonomic sitting and working is much easier at a tidy desk, since the keyboard, for example, is directly accessible.
But how can you keep your desk clean and organized so that you don’t have to search forever for certain things??
Good desk organization is the be-all and end-all
With a little discipline, any desk can be kept clean in the long term. Depending on how you are organized, you may find it easier or harder to create new order and consolidate it.
Everything has its place
Basically, all utensils that are needed for daily work and that are brought into the office or the office should be stored in a tidy place. belong near the desk, assign a fixed place to it. This applies to printers and telephones as well as to pens, notepads, paper clips and various spare parts such as pencil leads, printer cartridges and pin needles.
Some of it can be placed on the desk, such as the telephone, a pencil basket and the mail tray. Basically, though, the desktop should remain as clear as possible.
Create storage space and use it wisely
Simple and minimalist desks have their appeal, but sometimes they lack storage space. In such a case, it is possible to upgrade with mobile pedestals, which discreetly disappear under the desk top, but offer plenty of storage space. Alternatively, side tables can also be integrated into the office to provide additional storage space.
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But whether your desk is already equipped with drawers or you retrofit them, keep it organized. A tidy desk does not mean that the mess is moved from the desk top to the drawers. Use appropriate organizers and structural elements to keep track even in the drawers.
Tidy up at the end
You should definitely take this tip to heart: Tidy up at the end of working hours. This means that everything is put back in its place or. is placed. This is one of the most important measures to keep the desk permanently clean! So:
- all pens back into the container,
- If you eat at your desk or drink coffee and tea, put the dishes away,
- Sort small items back into the drawers,
- File documents or sort them in the inbox.
Goodbye note chaos
As practical as it is, the note box should nevertheless be replaced by a notebook or an appointment calendar. This has two advantages:
- the note chaos is minimized,
- important notes do not accidentally end up in the trash, but are quickly at hand.
This tip is easy to implement and contributes enormously to keeping the desk clean.
Do without decorative items
The desk should always be regarded as a work surface and kept clear accordingly. The more decorative items accumulate, vases of flowers here, picture frames there, the more cluttered the desk becomes and the danger of it becoming completely cluttered again is high.
Anything that belongs in the break time activity, books, cigarettes or similar things are best left in the bag. This sometimes also applies to the smartphone, if it is not used for professional purposes.
Tidy up regularly
If you tidy up every day, you are already doing a lot for a permanently clean desk.
But when work takes longer and you have to work overtime, sometimes you don’t take it too seriously when it comes to tidying up at the end of the day.
For this reason, it has proven useful to thoroughly tidy up the desk top once a week and also to wipe it clean on this occasion. This way, things that have been left lying around can be neatly put away.
In addition, once a month you should also dedicate yourself to the drawers and other desk shelves and look through them thoroughly. Anything that doesn’t belong there or is no longer needed will be disposed of or. Put in the right place.
Thoroughly clean out once
If you take the above tips to heart, you’ll end up with a tidy desk with very little effort. Sometimes, however, getting there is a little more difficult, especially if the desk first needs to be thoroughly tidied and de-cluttered.
In this case, you should consider a fixed day on which to tackle the project. As hard as it may be to review and file a lot of leftover documents or to take care of the odds and ends, the reward of a neatly tidied desk should be incentive enough.
There are many different ways to declutter a desk. However, it has proven most effective to provide enough boxes and to completely empty the desk once, including the drawers. It is possible to sort out immediately what is still needed and what can be disposed of immediately.
After a thorough cleaning, the desk is put away again and everything is put in its permanent place. If you find it difficult to create your own order, I recommend our article “Creating order on your desk.”