Marie Kondo will be the first one to tell you that the condition of your personal space is an accurate indicator of the condition of your mind. Overstuffed drawers = overstuffed mind. Messy room = messy mind. Cluttered desk = cluttered mind. You’re probably at work right now. Take a moment and browse your surroundings. Does what we mentioned look familiar? Do the piles of papers, stacks of envelopes and random paper clips reflect what’s going on in your head? Or does the disarray just make it a challenge to work fruitfully? It’s OK. Now is the perfect time to spring into action and make your desk a healthy haven. Here are our tips for a stress-free, productive workspace.
Take it all off
Get that desktop au naturel. Grab a paper ream box (or ten) from the supply room to act as “Stuff” receptacles for your clutter. Clear everything off your desktop. It should be a clean desk. Do the same for your drawers, the cubby under your desk and any small decorative containers or office supply holders that could be guilty of hiding stragglers. When you finish, your “Stuff” boxes will house everything that used to be in your way. Take the opportunity to give surfaces, drawers and containers a good scrub.
Sort it out
It’s decision time. Get two more empty boxes. Label one “Keep,” and one “Toss.” (Note: you may need more than one of each of these as you work through your items. Just repurpose emptied “Stuff” boxes into a “Keep” or “Toss.”) Systematically go through the “Stuff” boxes one by one, item by item. Evaluate whether the object is useful and you truly need it. Let’s say it’s your work laptop. Unless it’s got a blown motherboard, that’s totally going into the “Keep” box. However, if the “thing” has served its purpose, is junk or you have no idea how it got into your workspace in the first place, throw it where it belongs – in the “Toss” box. Keep going until you’ve sorted the whole lot.
Take out the Papers and the Trash
This is the moment of truth. Immediately – before you do anything else – get rid of that “Toss” box. Donate it or give it a grave in the dumpster, but act on getting it out of your personal area immediately. Lingering “Toss” box “treasures” have been known to migrate back to where they were purged from. Don’t let this happen! Stick with your decision and move on with clarity and a fresh palate.
“A Place for Everything, Everything in its Place”
Ben Franklin couldn’t have come up with ^that ^ genius mantra if his desk was a hot mess, and you can’t be your most productive self without some order in your work area. Whether you’re in a cube or the corner office, the next step is to give every item in the “Keep” box a new home. Keep a running list of organizational items you will need to acquire to help with this process. If loose pens and stray paperclips are your nemesis, then drawer dividers and desktop supply holders may be your heros. If towers of paper in Jenga formation are your plight, maybe it’s time to invest in a scanner/digital file system or an additional old school file cabinet. Just make sure every item you’ve decided to hang on to has a definitive place to live.
Make Workplace Wellness Part of your Personal Space
Now that you’ve de-cluttered and reorganized your work area, you have space to add a few gifts of self-care to make your clean desk a healthy haven.
- Keep a mist bottle on your desk filled with water and a few drops of an essential oil like peppermint (for energy) or lavender (to relax). Spritz onto skin throughout the day for an aromatherapy pick me up or a spa-like stress reliever right in the office.
- Invest in a refillable stainless steel coffee mug and glass water bottle to stay hydrated while being eco-friendly.
- Stash a stress ball in your desk drawer for use as needed.
- Care for and enjoy a small indoor plant that can survive on your desktop and under your horticulture skills.
Motivated to spring into action to create your own #HealthyHaven? Share your newly neat workspace and clean desk with us on social media by tagging @goomi_group on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Get more corporate wellness tips by visiting us at www.goomigroup.com and learn how we can bring on-site fitness, yoga classes, nutrition services and more right to your office!
