Increasing Productivity by Decluttering The Workspace

7/12/2021 | By Marella Gimenez

Are you struggling with a cluttered workspace where things never found their way to their appropriate drawer? Then this article is for you!

Whether you are working remotely or in an office, you need a proper workspace that will enable you to be productive. There has been an ongoing debate on which is better between having a disorganized and an organized workspace. People argue that a cluttered workspace is better because creative geniuses like Albert Einstein could work well in an unclean work environment. However, a messy workplace may also cause detrimental effects to you and your business. 

A cluttered workspace may cause emotional distress, leading to low productivity. Being emotionally distressed means that you are prone to distractions, and it creates feelings of guilt, which makes it difficult for you to relax. Aside from the stress and anxiety hazard, a cluttered workspace also draws in fire and slipping hazards. 

This article will teach you the benefits of decluttering your workspace and identifying your clutter types. We will also give you tips and hacks on how to clear desk space to help you get started.

 

Why Declutter? Cleanliness = Productivity

As mentioned earlier, clutter can distract you and lower your productivity. Apart from this, statistics show that an office keyboard could carry up to 7,500 bacteria at any given time. Also, an average person spends 4.3 hours per week looking for paper in a cluttered workspace. Lastly, around 57% of people say that they judge their coworkers by how they maintain their desks. 

On the other hand, people who declutter and maintain the cleanliness of their desks can work for 7.5 minutes longer without losing their focus. Furthermore, since their desks have fewer bacteria, they are also less likely to get sick. Lastly, it is said that a clean workspace increases the motivation of the employees by 84%.

Research says about clutter because extensive clutter and disorganization hinder you from focusing on what you are doing. Our brain can only keep track of several things at a time; thus, clutter may hinder your productivity. However, research also says that people who are creative and innovative tend to be disorganized. So, although it works for them, it may not apply to everyone.

For businesses or even a one-person office, the benefits of decluttering your workspace include the following:

1. It promotes focus and efficiency.

Having a clean and organized working environment will result in efficiency since you do not have to waste time looking for paper. Moreover, a clean desk will help you think that you are in control, making it easier for you to focus on your tasks and avoid distractions. Most importantly, a clean and organized storage will enable you to keep information confidential and secure.

2. It maximizes time and energy.

When you are working, you need to manage your time and energy to accomplish everything on your to-do list. Decluttering your desk space will enable you to know where items such as cables and supplies are located. In addition, it will make it easier for you to look for them when you need them. 

3. It simplifies your routines.

Regardless if you are working in an office or remotely, you still need to have your routines. Your routines do include not only working hours but also break and mealtimes. Simplifying your routine is related to saving time and energy. It means that your task will focus mainly on work hours and still have time and energy to do other activities.

If you are interested in learning more about creating a routine, you may want to check how highly productive people like Barack Obama work every day!

4. It improves your health.

As mentioned earlier, a keyboard in a cluttered desk space may contain up to 7,500 bacteria. Therefore, not cleaning your workspace makes you more vulnerable to diseases and allergies. 

Apart from that, a clean desk also brings you positive psychological effects. A clean working environment saves you from injuries and illness. It will also bring positive energy that will allow you to make a better impression with clients. Lastly, you will experience less stress and anxiety, which will help boost your health and productivity. 

5. It brings in positive energy while working.

In addition to the psychological health benefits, a clutter-free space brings happiness to you as well. Happiness will make you more productive, and it also contributes to customer satisfaction.

 

Identifying Your Workspace Clutter Types

Before you remove the things on your desk, it is also essential to identify the clutter types. The clutter types may include the following:

• Unnecessary items on your desk
• Documents you no longer need or read
• Unfinished projects
• Sentimental clutter
• Potentially useful clutter
• Recreational clutter
• Emergency clutter
• Unopened documents and packages

If you have a hard time decluttering, you can start by identifying the items on your desk. It will allow you to know how you can organize them and what storage you can use for them. 

By identifying your office clutter types, you will see how much you have and what you can keep or remove. After decluttering, we suggest you put labels on your storage boxes, so you won’t have a hard time looking for them in the future. 

Clear the Clutter: 10 Efficient Hacks to Declutter Your Workspace for that Productivity Boost

Once you have identified your office clutter types, let us proceed on how to clear desk space. Here are some tips and hacks that you can follow to declutter your workspace efficiently.

1. Let the light in! Allow room for positive energy to flow in your space. Use decluttering as an opportunity for meditation and allow positive energy to come to you.

2. Prioritize the things you need daily. You can follow the isolation method, wherein you will put all items except the absolute essentials (like your laptop and phone) in a box/drawer. Then, if you need to use an item, you can get it from the boxes/drawers. After a week or two, you will realize the unnecessary items to put in the storage or even donate.

3. Sort all your stuff. Sorting your stuff involves classifying your things according to their clutter type. 

4. Segment your space. We suggest you keep your desk spacious enough so you will have more working space. Have a dedicated space for every item you have. 

5. Go digital! Identify the essential items and store some digitally. Instead of printing all documents, you may opt to access them digitally through your laptop or phone. 

6. Use organization supplies like boxes/drawers with labels. Putting labels on your storage boxes/drawers will help you locate a specific item quickly.

7. Do proper cable management - tether or hide the wires. Managing your cables will make your place look neat, and it will also prevent any hazards. There are many tools that you can use in organizing your cables or wires. 

8. Use velcro or hooks - mount items not in use. Keep your things together using tools like velcro and hooks. It will save space and also prevent accidents.

9. Embrace a minimalist lifestyle. Limit your supplies by keeping only those that you need. Having a minimalist lifestyle will allow you to save money and the environment simultaneously. 

10. Make use of CLAYGO (Clean As You Go). Try cleaning your desk before you leave. You will be thankful you did it the following day.

How Can I Sustain Decluttering? Put Your Plan Into Action.

Now that you know the why and how of decluttering, the next step is going through the process. Putting effort into cleaning and organizing your desk and maintaining it will reap many benefits. Transform your workday by boosting your productivity with a clutter-free office. The decluttering process is a stepping stone in accomplishing your goals.

For those looking for a workspace, you can try KMC’s Coworking Spaces that can help boost your productivity. KMC is a unique coworking space provider that offers spaces for rent in Makati, BGC, Ortigas, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Clark, Alabang, and Cebu, Philippines. 

If you want to have a productive day, their coworking spaces are designed to be an open, casual, and flexible office environment. Given its open workspace setup, you can build connections with people and share ideas as well. 

Avail of their coworking membership online, and enjoy the perks of having high internet speed, free coffee, lemon water, a spacious pantry, and more! For more information, you can visit their website through this link.