I recently purchased a new home. Being a work from home blogger, I had to make the important decision of where to have my home office. I knew I wanted to have access to my house so I could juggle my mom duties. I also knew that I wanted my space to be pretty, inviting, and inspiring. Equally important to me, I wanted my office space to be organized.
By organizing my office space I found it gave me a significant productivity boost and reduced stress. Designing my space and getting it tidy and organized was key. And it wasn’t even a daunting task. I just made some small organizational changes from my apartment workspace and found they are having a significant impact. And you can do this too.
If the mess is too widespread, you can organize it in several steps. Here are some tips on how to do it.
Organizing My Office Space from Clutter to Inspiring
After serious consideration, I chose to have my home office right in my kitchen. I have an open floor plan and two dining room spaces. So, I chose the space with the window and a closet. I had a stand-up desk custom built to match my home and used the closet to organize my clutter. The result, an inviting space where I am inspired to work and write while still being available to my family as needed. You can do the same by following these steps:
Get Rid of What You Don’t Need
If there’s something on your desk you don’t use, get rid of it. Dispose of the documents you no longer need. Remove unnecessary files, accessories and furniture, and other items. At the end of this phase, you should only have the items you do need and use in your workspace. This will make all the next steps easier, even if it does take some time to finish. In my case, I wanted only the things I used daily on my desk. So I used my closet as an extended desk for my to-do pile and filing area.
De-Clutter Your Workspace
Look at what’s left of your workspace. Do you need those items right now or could you store them somewhere else? If you’re not using the item or the documents every day you should store them somewhere. Use a cardboard box for items and a file storage cabinet to sort all the documents you don’t need at all times. If you have a printer on your desk, consider getting a printer stand. It will de-clutter the desk, and the printer will still be nearby when you need it. After you’ve moved all the items, find out if they are within your reach. Place the items and documents you use frequently closer to you.
Create Work Zones
This concept could do wonders for both creativity and organization. Consider having a separate workstation for your computer and one for tasks that don’t require a computer. You should keep the monitor at eye-level, around 17 inches away from you. Keep the phone and office supplies you use more frequently on the side you use more often so you don’t have to reach out constantly. You can keep the computer on the same desk, just make sure not to clutter the other side with cables and other devices.
Label Your Items
You can use a label marker to organize boxes, drawers, and files so you know where to look when you need something. Having all of these labeled will also help you put items where they belong. If you share a workspace with someone, labeling will help both of you keep organized.
Clean Up Every Day
Before leaving for home every day, take a few minutes to tidy up your workspace. This way it will be clean when you come in the next day, so you won’t have to worry about the mess in the morning.
In order to keep your office clean, check out a selection guide on the stick vacuum cleaners from unclutterer, that will help you to vacuum your office fast and more effective.
Organizing my office space seemed like it was going to be a nightmare. And I’m not going to lie, it took a couple of hours. But once it was done I was 1000% happy with what it became. I feel better about working, I’m more available to my family and I’m inspired. Good luck with your workspace!
