No more messy desks: How to declutter your workstation

Imagine this scenario: you’re trying to find an important document for a client meeting. The trouble is you don’t have drawers or cabinets to organise your things. You’ve had to put all of your paperwork and equipment on your desk. Now, your desk has so many things that finding that document is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Hours pass and you still can’t find that specific document. All that finding has made you tired, and with only five minutes before the meeting, you’re stressed out of your mind. But not being able to find things is only the tip of a long list of problems a cluttered desk with poor cable management causes you.

A drag on your brain

Even when you’re not scrambling to find things, a cluttered desk with poor cable management is still mentally draining. This is because your brain is focusing on too many things around your workstation.

In fact, one study found that participants subjected to unresolved visual stimuli had greater amounts of attention change. Being forced to focus on too many things leaves little room for complex thinking, which can lead to you making costly mistakes.

A cluttered desk also makes you feel like there is more work that needs doing, even if you’ve gone through most of your assignments. You’ll start feeling restless, which can lead to health problems like headaches, digestive issues, and high blood pressure. To make matters worse, you’ll no longer feel joy from positive activities, especially those that require energy to do.

A messy desk doesn’t just affect your mental state. It also jeopardises your professional image. Having cables and documents strewn around signals to co-workers that you are lazy, undisciplined and bad at time management. This perception makes co-workers and bosses less confident that you will get the job done properly and on time.

Love your workspace

All in all, a clean desk is key to keeping a healthy mind. Now, if you have a lot of items on your desk, decluttering it can feel daunting. Even if that’s not the case, another problem you have to factor in is accidentally putting away items that you need the most. This can turn into hours of searching for a particular item or document.

Luckily for you, there are some tips on how you can encourage a stress-free decluttering process:

• Prioritise your items
  Before cleaning up, it is important to prioritise all your work items. Make a list of all the stationery and equipment that you have and decide if each item should be kept near you or out of sight.
  
  
• Give items a proper place
  Get a file cabinet for your paper documents and a storage rack for your stationery, like pens and scissors. This way, you’ll have an easier time finding the things you need.
  
  
• Embrace the one-minute rule
  Start with small clean-ups. If there are items that can be put away or stored, do those first so you can keep clutter as minimal as possible.
  
  
• Ask for help
  If you have a huge amount of clutter that needs to be dealt with immediately, call up some friends or family members to help you out. As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers.
  
  
• Don’t forget the wires
  If you’re working with electronic gadgets like laptops and smartphones, you likely have a lot of wires lying around your workspace. To ensure a mess-free workspace, you need a place to manage your wires.

You can find external organisers on online stores or buy a cable management desk like the TTRacing Tivon. The TTRacing Tivon comes with three magnetic clips and an organiser to help you manage your chargers and cords. Once the work day is over, open the flippable bar to store your cables inside and keep your desk visually clean.

Clear desk, clear mind

A clean desk not only makes finding items easier, but it also frees your mind from visual distractions. So, make it a habit to declutter your desk, especially after the work day is done. When you do that, you’ll have clearer thinking and peace of mind.

Start your decluttering plan with a cable management desk like the TTRacing Tivon. Visit the link here to get one for your home office today.