Take Control of Your Home Office
As more and more people begin to work from home, it’s increasingly important to organize your home office and stay productive. Here’s how to tidy and declutter your space in 15 minutes or less.
Before you start organizing your home office, consider your needs. Prioritize and designate a place for important paperwork, items to be shredded and office supplies. If your kids do their home in your office, set aside space for them to work and store their homework, books, and school supplies.
For now, ignore the computer. Electronic file and inbox organization are projects for another day. If it’s dusty, go ahead and give it a quick wipe down and move on.
A lot of stuff accumulates in home offices: knick-knacks, awards, mugs and more. Then you have office equipment: a printer, scanner, shredder and perhaps an external hard drive. Then there’s the paperwork. That is where things can get really messy.
Start organizing by collecting and sorting any clutter on the horizontal spaces of your office. When you pick up an item, quickly decide where it needs to be put away. For large stacks of paperwork, tidy the pile and leave it for another day when you can
For large stacks of paperwork, tidy the pile and leave it for another day when you can organize documents and do all the filing. If you have time, sort similar paperwork into categories: bills to be paid, items to be shredded, paper to be filed, etc.
Grab a box or basket to toss items that belong in another part of the house like clothes, dishes, and toys. Simply collect those items and leave them for another time.
Straighten up as you move around the room. Put books back on the bookshelf and return collectibles to the appropriate shelf. Gather office supplies like cables, notepads, and pencils. Place them in your desk drawers or supply cabinet. Don’t be distracted by disorganized drawers or cubbies. Remember, this is a quick cleanup and it’s important to stay focused on the areas most visible. Make a note of other spaces that need to be organized and put it off for another day.
If you come across trash, toss it immediately. When you fill the trash can, be sure to empty it as soon as you’re finished. Finally, do one last pass of the entire room to ensure everything is straightened up. Don’t worry about dusting or vacuuming. Instead, focus on tidying your home office. You can always dust during your routine cleaning.
Finally, do one last pass of the entire room to ensure everything is straightened up. Don’t worry about dusting or vacuuming. Instead, focus on tidying your home office. You can always dust during your routine cleaning.
When you’re done, take a few minutes to appreciate what you’ve accomplished. You will feel rewarded and much more productive when working in your organized office.
Leave a Reply