5 Ways to Declutter Your Workspace

A significant question that most executives ask themselves is how to get organized when they are overwhelmed? What does this look like for them? What’s the big deal about decluttering lives, anyway? Is it necessary? We may not realize?it, but clutter looms over our heads as much as we try to look beyond it. In the end, it really has a negative effect on our lives whether we want to admit it or not. And it’s a real embarrassment when guests pop in unexpectedly, either at office or at home.

A cluttered and messy workspace can contribute to our unwillingness to work. Moreover, a cluttered workstation at both home and office can impact the work quality and ability to complete the tasks. If we feel low without any visible reason, a major clean-up of the workspace shall help us recover from that very situation.

Why Regularly Declutter?

Keeping a?clutter-free ?workspace is a challenge for most people. Piling up miscellaneous things over time is inevitable. Documents get accumulated on the desk, and one forgets to get rid of the unnecessary items.

All these ends up making our workspace cluttered. But here's what we can do to resolve it!

1. Avoid Searching for things

Losing or misplacing important documents or valuables is a common incident in a disorganized work environment. Are we constantly searching for the things we require but cannot find them on time? Do we spend a a lot of time each day to find a file??

If yes, spare some time and remove all the clutter at the workspace. Keeping only the required items in the right places will save time in finding them. One can spend the saved time by getting into a productive project.

2. Avoid Distractions

Distractions, in any forms and manifestation are the biggest enemy of productivity and creativity. We may be going well with our work, and suddenly we get distracted. Then it becomes challenging to get back to the initial level of attention and concentration. This kind of sudden diversion of focus is common if we have a messy work area.

Clutter draws our mind away from our priority to something we should not be focusing on now. It also makes us anxious about our pending work and never lets us relax physically and mentally.

3. Sufficient Workspace

If we are into some?creative and technical work , we will need ample space for that. A cluttered workspace will hamper our productivity by cutting down the space available for the work we are doing.

A decent open space allows us to think and brainstorm. It is also an essential catalyst in tasks that involve problem-solving. No matter how big or small our workspace is, we can make use of it to the fullest by removing all the clutter. Keep only the essential items around for the work.

4. Maximize Focus

Sitting on the workstation and not doing anything productive is not a healthy habit. It might look like we are working all day sitting in a cluttered workspace while not doing anything that matters.

A messy workspace can be responsible for your?lack of focus . Keep only the necessary items on the workstation and put them in designated areas. Thus, proper storage and organization will help us focus on our work as we do not have to waste our time looking for anything.

5. No Mess

Can we ever imagine spending a whole day tidying up our desk and still not getting it done completely? We can avoid facing such situations by making decluttering a part of our routine.

If we spend five minutes every day at the beginning or end of our daily work to remove unnecessary items, we will never end up having a big mess that will take days to get rid of. If we are too busy or unwilling to go through this process every day, do this at least once a week to keep the productivity going.

Takeaways

Remember to start with a vision. What will our office or house look like and how free shall we feel when we get the clutter under control? Get everyone’s buy-in by motivating them and encouraging them to express their personal feelings.

Let's be realistic about our daily goals. Always break down larger projects into workable chunks. Rotate decluttering assignments to avoid boredom and keep things simple. Always include weekly rewards for successful behavior. Enjoy your new-found freedom!

?About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani ?is the Founder and Managing Director of?Evolve HR ?which aims at transforming,?enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan,?Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organizational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders.?As a Business Coach and Organizational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organizations and put them on the path to growth.?

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