If Your Desk is a Mess, Here’s Why

Does your desk at home always seem to be messy, and you’re unsure why? Figuring out the reason for the clutter will help you figure out how to tackle it and implement solutions that keep the paper from piling back up again. Below are five possible reasons why the desk in your home office is messy.

Your Desk is Too Small

Desks come in various sizes, and yours might simply not be big enough for what you do. If your job requires a significant amount of room for office equipment, supplies, and more, it could be that you need more surface space. But be careful here as a larger desk might just wind up getting filled too. The key is finding a desk that is big enough so you can be productive.

No Physical Inbox

While you have email and may also use collaborative solutions like Slack, there are sure to be some papers to process. For the physical documents that need attention, make sure you have a physical inbox on the desk at home. Plus, this inbox can function as a central place to store paperwork until you get to it, rather than having piles spread out around the office.

Lack of Storage Space

Storing pens, paper, and other supplies becomes difficult when there are not enough drawers and cupboards to a desk. So, when it comes time to pick out a desk for the home office, make sure it has enough storage for your needs. When supplies well-organized and out of sight, they enhance your job, rather than being an eyesore.

Miscellaneous and Extra Items

As with the home in general, an overcrowded office can happen when there are unnecessary things there. For example, your desk and the surrounding area may have become a place to put items that would be better suited elsewhere, such as a bedroom or closet. You might also have duplicates of things, such as two staplers, so eliminating the extra ones will create space in the office.

Not Tossing Anything

Do you have a hard time parting with things that you haven’t touched in a while? Many of our clients share this difficulty. We encourage you to look at what you have right now and what you still need or use. Doing so will reduce clutter significantly and help you organize what is essential to your home office.

Clearing the Desk to Clear Your Mind

When your desk is disorganized, your mind is likely to be too. The clutter can be distracting and stressful. You also may find that it takes longer to do some work tasks because you must shuffle through mountains of paper to find what you need. A disorganized desk is also one that is likely to lead to misplaced documents.

Keeping your workspace organized does not have to be overwhelming. Taking just a few minutes each day to clean up your desk can go far toward clearing your mind so you can focus more on work. If you aren’t sure quite where to start, we’re happy to help. Reach out to one of our professional organizers today.