You are probably worried that your home office organisation set up will be a time-consuming and tedious task. But the reality is, having a disorganised workspace will waste more time in the long run than getting your space sorted once and for all.
Home office organisation doesn’t have to take weeks – maintaining an organised home office is more effective if you treat it like a continuous project rather than tackling it in one go.
We’re not talking about just moving around a couple of documents, throwing away that scribbled on piece of paper and scooping some waste into a bin. We are talking about having a workspace that is conducive to productivity and making your daily work life maintainable and efficient.
If you’re ready to make your home office workspace into an organised oasis, read our top tips to help you transform your space.
Purge!
Do you really need that dried-out pen that is sitting among the 7 highlighters of the same colour? Are you ever going to write anything in that notepad that is gathering dust? Having a cluttered, claustrophobic space makes your brain feel that there is extra work to be done and when your brain is overwhelmed, it triggers a stress response. Getting rid of all the unnecessary things you don’t need helps alleviate this stress and helps you get back in control. Having to search for things where you are not sure where they are placed is a huge waste of time and has a significant impact on efficiency. Simplify your space to increase your level of productivity and decrease your level of frustration.
Establish Work “Zones”
Identify appropriate work zones in your home office to help you to establish what activities happen in which area and try not to let these areas overlap. Have a place purely for your work, a storage area for your documents and files and a dedicated area for your supplies such as stationary. Now is the time to let go of that dried-out pen though!
Label Everything
Having everything labelled in your office will save you time having to rummage through everything and turning your space upside down, all over again. This does not only avoid you feeling flustered but is a great step towards being efficient and taking your productivity to new heights. Why stop at labelling all your physical items? Spend an hour or two sorting through all your files on your computer and getting rid of anything you don’t need. There is nothing better than starting your day with an organised Google Drive.
Start Automatic Scheduling
The basic daily tasks that we need to get done can take up a lot of your time. You could be responsible for scheduling emails, setting up meetings or posting to social media for your clients. Scheduling these tasks automatically beforehand will take plenty off your plate and will make these mammoth tasks seem mouse-like. You will be amazed at how much time you can save using tools such as Calendly, Hootsuite, Social Insider and even your basic Office365. Put aside 2 hours of your week to schedule everything that needs to be done for the next week so that nothing falls by the wayside or is missed. This will help you stay on top of your game, no matter what surprises come your way during the week!
Go Paperless
A fantastic way to declutter is to go paperless. Messy notebooks are outdated and there are a wide variety of free apps available online which can help us remain organised while reducing our environmental footprint. Apps such as Evernote, Google Keep and Dropbox are great for reducing clutter and files can be saved and shared in the cloud, allowing you to access them at any stage.
Organise That Inbox
Organising your home office space is not just for the physical items and your computer files. A messy, cluttered inbox full of spam emails can be just as exhausting and overwhelming as having a disorganised workspace. Get rid of any old, junk or irrelevant emails and switch your inbox to priority mode. Get into the habit of deleting emails that are of no use to you as they come in and make sure to unsubscribe to any newsletters that you no longer read.
Utilise the Space Around You
Instead of piling things onto your desk, why not build in some shelves on the wall around you or having a compact under-shelf basket? This simple solution is a great utilisation of space and the things you need will still be available at the drop of a hat.
Your home office organisation doesn’t have to be the daunting task that you thought it would be. With our 7 simple tips for organisation and maintaining your workspace, you will be on your way to achieving your highest level of productivity and efficiency. Spend a minute or two at the end of the day by putting everything back in place and making it neat and tidy so that when you arrive at your desk the next day you will be ready to tackle the day head-on!
Go back to the blogs here.
