Want to Be More Productive? Here’s How to Declutter Your Workspace

Taking the time to declutter or remove items that no longer serve or are of use to you can have a big impact on your productivity levels. You’ll be able to better focus and concentrate on your work. You’ll also be able to move about with relative ease. What’s more, a clean and neat workspace can help project a professional image to your colleagues, clients, and customers.

Here are four tips to help you declutter your workspace for increased productivity:

Remove non-essential items from your workspace

An easy way to declutter your desk or office is to remove non-essential items from your daily work area. These items can be small or large, be they inactive paper files, occasionally used electronic equipment, expired product stock, or past presentation materials. You can begin the decluttering process by taking an objective view of your work area. Ask yourself the following questions: “What type of work do I perform at my workspace?” “Which items are essential for my work?” “Which items are non-essential?” Once you’ve identified non-essential items, you can relocate materials to a storage area or appropriately dispose of items via shredder, recycling or trash bin.

Declutter electronic devices

Believe it or not, electronic devices can take up a lot of space in the office setting. There’s obvious physical clutter, such as defunct electronic devices, cords, cables, chargers, and adapters, but there’s also digital clutter such as expired or outdated computer programs, digital files, and email messages. Schedule some time in your calendar to address physical and digital clutter. Which items do you truly need to keep or save? Which items can be archived, backed up, or stored elsewhere? Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need to evaluate, sort, and declutter items.

Streamline office supplies

Do you keep stashes of pens, notepads, and paper clips in different areas of your workspace? If so, you may want to consider consolidating your collection. This will make it easier to locate supplies when needed and create a more accurate inventory record. Assemble and store frequently used office supplies on top of your desk or in a nearby desk drawer. Keep only those items needed for daily use at your workspace and return excess supplies to a supply room, closet, or cabinet.

Address temporary storage

One of the plagues of office environments is that of temporary storage. Items such as files, materials, and supplies are meant to be stored in a particular location for a brief period of time, but end up forgotten, misplaced, or abandoned. In some cases, temporary storage can be both physical and logistical hazards to employees. It’s worth taking time to identify temporary storage areas in your office. Determine who is responsible for the items in question and discuss viable permanent storage options. Lastly, create a step-by-step plan to safely and permanently store items.