HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE FOR ULTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY - Goodwill Industries of San Diego County

ARE YOU READY TO GET ORGANIZED?

Let’s take this time to reflect on your habits and consider making changes to your routine. There’s no better time to start developing the skill of organization.

Having an organized, dedicated workspace is critical for your productivity. When my home office is cluttered, I feel distracted and overwhelmed. Research shows clutter can have a negative impact on your attention, emotions, sleep quality, and relationships.

Organizing your office is a big project to take on, so we’ve created a guide to help break it down step by step.

Let’s get organized!

STEP ONE: SORTING

The first step in decluttering your office is to sort everything into three groups: items to keep in the office, items to relocate to another room, and items you’re ready to get rid of.

ITEMS TO KEEP IN THE OFFICE

It’s time to get honest with yourself about what you actually need to keep in your office. If you’re not using something on a daily basis, then chances are, it doesn’t need to be in your “keep” pile.

Your workspace should be simple, efficient, and free of any items that distract you from your work-related goals.

Items to keep in the office might include:

A desk (consider a standing or adjustable desk)
An ergonomic chair
Noise-canceling headphones
Your WiFi source
Office technology (a computer, printer, scanner, fax machine, etc.)
Office supplies (pens, highlighters, sticky notes, staplers, etc.)

ITEMS TO RELOCATE

You might be tempted to use your home office as a storage space for all kinds of different things, but be wary of this. It’s too easy to get distracted when you’re surrounded by non-work-related things. It’s time to move those items to another location.

For example, if you have kids and you’re finding toys are piling up in your office, create a designated space for toys in another room.

Consider relocating items taking up valuable space on your desk or bookshelf. Instead of keeping framed photos on your desk, move them elsewhere and create a photo collage on your wall. This way, you can still look at photos, but they won’t be hogging desk space.

ITEMS TO GET RID OF

For items you’re ready to give up, consider if you want to trash them, give them to a friend or family member, or donate them.

Some items you’ll definitely want to trash:

Broken electronics or cords
Pens or markers that don’t work
Empty printer cartridges (can be recycled)
Old mail
Old business cards
Outdated documents or receipts (hold on to those tax records though)
Old notebooks with information you no longer need
Old snacks (try to make sure snacks stay in the kitchen)
Dead plants

Items you might consider donating to your local Goodwill store:

Old desktop computers, monitors, or laptops (will not accept broken screens)
Keyboards
Cords or cables
Printers
Scanners
Copiers
Books you will never read
New or used office tools

Now that everything’s removed and sorted, it’s time to get out your cleaning supplies!

STEP TWO: CLEANING

You will need: a microfiber cloth, commercial disinfectant, spray bottle, glass cleaner, and a vacuum or mop. Also, if you don’t have one, consider getting an attachment or brush for your vacuum.

DUST

Using a microfiber cloth, dust your empty desk and bookshelves from top to bottom. Dust off any light fixtures in the room.

You’ll also want to make sure to dust your electronics with care. You can use a microfiber cloth or compressed air duster to clean off your computer screen, computer tower, keyboard, mouse, printer, fax machine, or any other electronics.

VACUUM OR MOP

Don’t forget to reach underneath furniture like your desk, bookshelves, or filing cabinets. You can also use a vacuum brush attachment for your desk chair and curtains or blinds.

WASH OFF GLASS SURFACES

Spray a microfiber cloth with glass cleaner. Make sure you clean off the windows.

STEP THREE: CREATE SPACE

Decide on designated spaces for your items. Once you have storage areas set up, you can begin putting things in their designated spaces. Check out the following tips.

SET UP A FILING STATION

It’s time to tame the paper clutter. Create a color-coded filing system with labels to help you easily find what you need. Here’s a great example of color-coded categories for your file station.

CREATE A MAIL STATION

Having an organized mail station is a game changer. Start by finding a designated place in your home for your mail station. Set up a trash can, recycling bin, and/or a paper shredder.

Create file folders labeled file, bills, to do, and review. Every day, take your mail and sort it into the folders accordingly. For more tips and inspiration, see this article.

USE CONTAINERS

Keep things tidy by storing your office supplies in containers and drawers. Use a drawer divider to separate small supplies such as paper clips, rubber bands, and pushpins.

MAXIMIZE WALL SPACE

One of the best ways to create space in your office is to make use of the wall. Consider hanging a bulletin board, white board, calendar, vertical shelves, or a wire wall grid.

USE WIRELESS DEVICES

Using wireless devices can help reduce the amount of cords and cables in your office.

Bundle remaining cords together using cable ties so they stay out of your way. The last thing you want is to trip over a cord or damage your electronics!

STEP FOUR: DECORATE

You’ve made it to the fun part – decorating your office! It’s important to make your home office a space you enjoy. Let’s look at some ways you can make your office a comfortable, inviting space.

CONSIDER THE LIGHTING

The lighting quality in your home office is incredibly important. Poor lighting can cause strained vision and headaches, making you less productive.

LED light strips can create an ambient environment. To add accents of color in the room, run the LED strips along shelves and behind your desk or computer monitor. Cooler tones of blue and white have been shown to boost alertness, mood, and concentration.

An eye-catching floor lamp is a stylish and practical choice, it also doesn’t take up desk space.

ADD SOME GREENERY

Did you know plants can help to reduce stress and improve your work performance? Research shows having plants in your office can increase productivity by 15%.

For low-maintenance plants, consider cacti, snake plants, pothos, or aloe vera. Instead of plants taking up space on your desk, organize them in hanging wall planters.

ENJOY YOUR ORGANIZED OFFICE

Congratulations, you did it! Your home office probably feels brand new now and it’s all organized and efficient.

It takes a lot of work, but it’s well worth the amount of time you’ll save and the increased quality of your life.

We hope you enjoy your fresh, tidy office space.

Resources: