A functional and clean workspace is the ticket to being successful at work. Whether work is at home, at an office building, or at school, a cluttered desk serves no purpose but to cause distractions. Whenever I hear someone’s reasoning behind a messy office, desk, or locker (I work with students!) with the confusing statement of “there’s a system”, I cannot help but laugh. Perhaps they genuinely have a system that suits their lifestyle and gets the job done. Unfortunately, that particular system does not work for the majority of us who want a tidy desk!

 

Organizing and decluttering may be a grueling task, but it can also be fun and stress-relieving. When I started blogging, I immediately became excited to finally get a bedroom writing desk. I have always wanted one, and now was the time to get the creative juices flowing when designing the new workspace- in this case, blogspace!

 

 

A work space is almost like a second home since the majority of the day is spent there, so why not make it into a cozy, comfortable place that is actually enjoyable and conducive.Here are some great work office decluttering, organizing, and decorating ideas to help inject some personality and color into the workspace in order to inspire creativity, productivity, and positivity in the work day!

 

Let’s get started! 

 

The first thing to be done is to set time aside to declutter and organize the workspace. If a specific time is not set aside, it is easy to put it off to the side in order to get the next items on the to-do list completed. Well, now is time to put this on the top of the to-do list, and get going to decluttering and organizing the workspace. The first step is a digital cleanse!

01. Email & Desktop Declutter

If I am not on top of it, I can easily receive on the upwards of 300 plus email notifications in my inboxes daily.  Labeling urgent emails are important, assigning junk labels, and organizing b into labels and folders is quite beneficial. Bulk deleting with start to become your friend during this sweeping process. Most of the emails I receive are sales and marketing, and if I am not in the mood to snatch the 25% discounts on shoes from Nordstrom, it’s best to delete the unnecessary emails. Set some time aside at the beginning or end of the day to do a total email sweep. This will free up space in your main inbox, and will eliminate the dread of unread email notifications. Waking up to 300 unread emails and having that number continually grow is incredibly stressful!

Next it is time to declutter the computer and laptop desktops! The are times when I am unable to see the background image on my desktop as it is covered by a plethora of documents, PDFs, and photos. Create folders, and keep these folder off the desktop. (or leave it! I personally like seeing the image of snowcap mountains since I live in Houston) With Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud, everything can be stored and accessed anywhere! The next time you are looking for that document, it will be in its rightful, organized place. Not only will the declutter make everything organized, but it will also free space on the hard drive. Win, Win!

02. Imaginary Grid & Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the art of arranging one’s environment to attract a more positive vibe. “A proper organizational system is vital for your desk so you can be productive and creative,” says Lisa Ruff, director of business development at the Neat Method. Let’s add a more positive and conducive environment with these valuable tips!

• Bottom left corner: great place to keep working documents.
• Middle left: place a family photo here or an object that is close to your heart.
• Bottom middle: keep this area clear for work. This is your career area.
• Center: this is the health area where to place herbal tea here or items that remind you to live a balanced and healthy life.
• Top middle: stack your business cards here.
• Bottom right: place a favorite book, prayer book, or any spiritual book.
• Middle right: place a journal or something that inspires creativity within.
• Top right: keep fresh cut flowers here or a lovely plant.

03. Desk Organizer & Office Declutter

Decluttering the desk is one of the most important things to be done in order to get organized, feel zen, and boost productivity. If my desk is cluttered, I constantly want to organize it and feel frustrated when I’m too busy to do so. (this also applies at home!) To organize the desk, make sure everything has its own spot. There are so many desk organizers such as shelves, drawers and pen holders to ensure everything has a proper space. This is where you can create a legitimate system for everything. If there are no organizers, then the clutter will remain. In addition to the desk, the office space needs to be organized and decluttered as well. If not, the distraction will be heightened, and it will be harder to get work done. Just like the desk, make sure there is a space for everything in the office. Most of all, take the liberty to have fun with the office space by rearranging and adding color. This is your space, make the most of it!

04. Day Organizer & Planner

I have always kept all of my appointments and reminders on my phone. Then I started to notice all of the multitude of posted notes and reminder sheets pilled high on my desk. This ultimately convinced me to get a planner, and has been a total game changer. Even during a meeting, taking notes on a planner or laptop is way better than on a phone. This has helped me declutter because it is an all-in-one organizer. There are so many varieties of planners out there. There are even customizable one. Check out some of my favorite planners!

05. A Touch of Decor

Here is where the creative juices can flow. Whether it is adding wall art, flowers, plan, loved ones photos, inspirational quotes, and grids, let your workspace be inviting, cozy, and relaxing. Often the stress can take its toil, so having a tranquil environment will help alleviate stress. 

 

Additional Unique Organization Tips!

Because there are so many types of closets: walk-ins, reach-ins, small, large, etc., Modular Closets have broken down their best tips based on the most commonly asked questions they receive about closet organization ideas. Definitely check it out! 

 

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