Yes, it is chilly and raining where I am now, but March is less than a week away. Sunnier skies and warmer temperatures shouldn’t be far behind and that means Spring Cleaning.
In no time at all, we’ll all be going through our closets, organizing our pantries, planting some new flowers, or at the very least binging Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix and pretending we are about to do something.
But don’t forget your office! Spring Cleaning your work area should be on your agenda too.
According to 7 Office Spring Cleaning Tips to Boost Productivity Happingess at Work, an organized work space can lead to:
- More Productivity
- A Happier Mood
- A Better Overall Impression
Here are some Spring Cleaning tips from 10 Tricks To Spring Clean Your Office compiled by Forbes:
1. Divide Your Workspace Into Zones
Organization expert Peter Walsh suggests you set up zones based on the different types of work you do daily – a work area with your computer, another area for research, and another place to store your supplies. Of course if you only have a desk in a cubicle you will need to have pretty small zones, but this theory will help you stay more organized regardless.
2. Keep Only What You Need At Arm’s Length
Cluttered desk, cluttered mind, right? Time to take some inventory on what you keep on your desk. Keep extra supplies you don’t use often or paperwork you don’t need in their established zones off of your desk.
3. Create A Daily Paper System
Speaking of paperwork, separate it based on what you need to read, what needs action, and what needs to be filed. File baskets or even color coded folders can help you streamline this process. They suggest you then pick days of the weeks to tackle each type or paperwork so you don’t get overwhelmed.
4. Establish Limits
This is especially helpful if you are short on space. For example, give yourself one bookshelf. When it’s full, you have to get rid of a book. (I can hear some of you gasping, but chances are you do not have a bookshelf full of books you look at for work every day.)
5. Sort Your Catch-All Drawer
We all have that one drawer in our desk that we just throw random stuff into. This is a great time to go through it, and maybe add some dividers to better organize it. (Jane Brown, founder of organization and design firm Jane Brown Interiors, suggests you do this every 6 weeks and put the task on your calendar.)
6. Don’t Use E-Mail As A To-Do List
Time to take a look at your digital clutter too. Use filters or follow ups to keep your inbox manageable.
7. Streamline Your Desktop Icons
If your entire monitor is covered in icons, you may need to reassess. Create a digital filing system and keep the icons to those things you use daily.
8. Hang Hooks For Outwear
Don’t let your jackets and bags take over your work space. They usually end up on the floor if you don’t have a place for them.
9. Keep A Basket Or Drawer For Short-Term Storage
I appreciated this tip as it does allow you a bit of a catch-all for those things you still need, but don’t make the cut for the previous tips. This can be for things like magazines, your gym bag, tennis shoes for walking, etc.
10. Disinfect Regularly
For this post, I did some research on how dirty laptops can be aaaaand I really wish I hadn’t. [Leaves to go grab disinfectant] As I was saying, clean your laptops, phones, light switches, etc regularly. This will most likely lead to you also taking care of anything else that doesn’t belong on you desk.
More Spring Cleaning Resources:
- Spring Clean Your Cubicle!
- Are There More Bacteria on Computer Keyboards Than Toilet Seats?
- Simple Steps to Spring Clean Your Office
And here’s another tip – you don’t need to wait until Spring to start cleaning! Especially your keyboard – go do that right now…
