5 Tips on How to Declutter Your Home Workspace

Are you one of the thousands of Aussies who had to switch to a work-from-home setup because of the pandemic? Then you probably know how challenging it can be to work in an environment where you're supposed to relax and not think about your job. Yet, there are ways to improve your productivity at home, starting with ensuring that your workspace is free from clutter. 

When the messes of your home "spill over" to your workspace, you would find that it affects your productivity, too. Not only is it an issue of being an eyesore that you don't want your colleagues to see during virtual meetings, but the clutter can also cause emotional distress and even lead to stress or anxiety. Why will you subject yourself to that? The key to making your work-from-home setup as stress-free and productive as possible is to keep your workspace free from any clutter. 

Yes, decluttering your space can be overwhelming, but it's doable! To help you out, we will share some organisation hacks for your workspace:

Tip #1: Draw Realistic Expectations

Perhaps you were expecting to have those Pinterest-worthy workspaces that some people have, and presently that's not yet possible. Instead of telling yourself that you'd clean up your space when you can get the home office setup you want, make the most of what you already have and get creative! 

If you can't have a quiet room to transform into a home office, a corner in your kids' room may work best if they spend all day playing in the living room. Once you find your "spot," make it known to everyone in the family that your workspace is off-limits. This means that they can't put their stuff on your desk, use your computer or your stationery, or if at all possible, they shouldn't even go near your desk. This will help establish boundaries and will significantly reduce clutter.

Tip #2: Scan your Desk for Anything Unnecessary

If you find it hard to focus on what you're working on, the clutter on your desk may be affecting your concentration. Scan your desk to see if there is unnecessary stuff there that you can remove to free your mind. It's best to do this every day before you start working or at least weekly, so you can get rid of any documents that you may be done with or anything else that's not related to what you're currently working on. 

Tip #3: Separate Your "Office" from Your "Home"

When you're the one taking care of all the affairs at home, such as bills, school, doctor's appointments, and others, you might be tempted to get them all in one place. You might think keeping all your receipts or bills, and your post-its for your family's appointments on your desk is a good idea because then they're all within your reach. The problem with this is that having them all in your sight when you're working can be overwhelming and distracting. How can you properly think when you have your credit card bill or the list of your groceries right in front of you and taking your mind from your task at hand? It's better to declutter your workspace of anything that is considered a family or a home matter. 

Tip #4: Clean Up After Every Shift

Just like you would at your office, you want to dedicate at least five minutes of your time decluttering your workspace after you're done with work, no matter what time it is. This way, all the mess accumulated during the day can be thrown in the bin, and you can start fresh the next workday!

Tip #5: Micro-declutter

When you're always in a rush to finish tasks, you might find it hard to do a major cleanup of your workspace every single day or even every week. That's fine as long as you regularly do regular micro-decluttering. For instance, pull a drawer and just declutter that one or get your pen holder to get rid of pens that have run out of ink or sort through your files to see if there are documents that you don't need anymore. This may seem insignificant, but it's a great way to ensure that your space stays clutter-free at all times.

Conclusion

It can be frustrating when you find that your desk is filled with toys or your chair is covered in dirty clothes. But that doesn't have to be the case. Simply follow the organisation hacks we have shared above, and you can be sure that your workspace will be clutter-free!

When you need more home organisation solutions to help you keep your home workspace in order, MYLE has some of the best products for you. Check out our collection specifically for workspaces today!