How to keep your workplace organized


An organized workspace does a lot more than just please the eye. Your workspace sets the pace for how your workday will go, and that alone says a lot for a messy workspace. Having an organized workspace will allow you to think clearly and improve on your time management skills. A messy workplace means you’ll spend minutes daily and hours weekly looking for misplaced documents and losing important work items.

A good workplace should enable you to keep track of everything, even in a super busy work environment. The more organized your working area is, the more organized your work will be, and as a result, the more productive a workday you’ll have. Even with space limitations in most working areas, it’s still possible to stay clear of chaos. Below are some ways to keep your workspace organized.

How to keep your workplace organized

Declutter your working area

Most of the things contributing to the piles on your desk are probably things you haven’t used in a while, do not plan to use, and will not use in the near future. They could be old stationery, papers, or files. Sort through your stuff and only keep those items that are necessary. The rest can go into the trash or the recycle bin, or to storage where they’re out of sight. Keeping yourself surrounded with only the things you work with will eventually increase your efficiency.

Invest in storage and organization supplies

Having extra spaces to put away your files, stationery, and work items will keep your workspace organized. Baskets, boxes, containers, shelving units, or a filing cabinet can all come in handy. This will keep your necessary documents in one place and your small office supplies from getting lost or misplaced.

Labeling

After you’ve stored your stuff, putting labels on the storage space will help you find things easily when you need them. You can use sticky notes, sharpies, or tape to label files, shelves, boxes, drawers, and binders. Knowing where everything is located will save you a lot of time during your workday.

Keep a trash can nearby

Having a trash can right beneath your desk will keep waste paper from accumulating on your desk. Without a trash can, you’ll keep your trash with you, even if you plan to get rid of it when you get out of your office, and that will make your workspace very untidy. Clear off any trash right away for a neat working area.

How to keep your workplace organized

Tame your cables

Cables are easy to overlook when thinking about organization, yet they can be a real nuisance. Having cables running all around your floor and on your desk is not only a safety hazard, but also very unsightly. Get a cable holder for your desk that will keep all your cables in line. You can also secure them with pins along the back of your desk.

Work on one task at a time

Multitasking will leave your desk cluttered with various files and documents. Tackle one task at a time, which means only the documents and files related to that project will be on your desk.

Once you organize your workspace, you’ll find that your work flows smoothly throughout the day.

Recommended For You