7 Home Office Organization Tricks for Greater Productivity
Organization and productivity go hand in hand. These tips will help you organize your home office so you can be as productive as possible. Check ’em out!
If your office area is in disarray, it’s hard to get anything done. After all, how are you supposed to finish that task if you’re too distracted by the mess?
Organization and productivity go hand in hand. If your goal is to be more productive, it’s time to get your home office in order.
These seven tricks will help you reorganize your home office so you can get more done. It’s time to make the most of your office space so you can make the most of your workdays!
1. Rearrange Office Furniture
How you arrange your office furniture can impact your productivity. If your furniture is organized inefficiently, you’re going to be less effective at work.
You likely have a desk and a filing cabinet. If that’s the case, they should be near one another. Getting up every time you have to file a paper can become tedious.
Your trash can and paper shredder should be nearby, too. Who wants to get up every five minutes to throw something away? Save yourself the trouble by placing these items within arm’s reach.
2. Keep Only the Necessities on Your Desk
Multitasking isn’t a good habit, but we’re all guilty of it. And when we multitask, we tend to get disorganized. Your desk, especially, can get chaotic.
To prevent your desk from becoming a mess, only keep the things you absolutely need on it. Depending on which task your working on, the essentials may include a pen, a notepad, and a stapler.
If you have extra office supplies, store them in a desk drawer or somewhere else nearby.
And think twice about keeping framed photos on your desk. It’s fun to have pictures of your family next to your computer, but they’ll look just as lovely on the wall. You’ll free up valuable desk space by hanging lightweight canvases around your office.
The same goes for books. If you have a bookcase, store your books there. Only put the books on your desk that you need that day.
3. Get a Standing Desk
Sitting too much is bad for your health, which is why you should think about getting a standing desk.
A standing desk can lower your blood pressure and combat obesity. At first, standing all day may prove to be difficult. But the more you do it, the easier it gets.
You can also take turns between sitting and standing. Even a little bit of standing (and a little less sitting) has health benefits. And the healthier you are, the more productive you’ll be!
Plus, standing desks have more space underneath them than traditional sit-down desks. In that space, you can put filing cabinets, your trash barrel, and maybe even a few storage containers.
Related: The 10-Step Home Organization Checklist for a Happier Home
4. Use a Timer
It’s easy to let time get away from you, no matter what type of project you’re tackling. But a timer can help you stay accountable. Keeping one on your desk enables you to set micro-deadlines for each project.
For example, let’s say you have to complete a report by the end of the day, but you know that it’ll only take two hours. If you distract yourself with social media and news feeds, you could potentially spend all day finishing the report. But if you set your timer for two hours, you’ll stay on track and get it done faster!
There are all kinds of timers out there. From traditional stopwatches to time-tracking phone apps, there’s no shortage of tools to help you focus.
5. Take Advantage of Vertical Wall Space
Is your home office in the corner of your living room? If so, arranging things can get tricky, especially if you have a small living room.
When you feel limited by space, take advantage of your walls. Installing shelves up the wall will give you more room for books, file organizers, and decorations.
If your desk is near a corner, get a tall corner storage cabinet. That way, you’ll have a space-efficient spot to keep all of your work files.
6. Clean Up Daily
When you work from home, it’s crucial to clean up after yourself at the end of each day, or work with a team like Handy to help with the cleaning. Otherwise, the mess in your office will start to spill out into the rest of your home!
Messes happen, but you should make a point to pick up before you clock out for the evening. Staying on top of clutter will prevent a giant pileup on your desk, and you’ll have a neat and tidy space to return to in the morning.
Related: Your 5-Step Apartment Cleaning Checklist to Stay More Organized
7. Control Notifications
Unless you don’t mind the constant interruptions, put your phone on silent while you work. Or, take it one step further and put your phone out of arm’s reach when you’re not using it.
You could even mount a storage caddy to the wall on the other side of the room, and keep your phone in there when you’re not using it. This will prevent you from mindlessly checking social media while you’re supposed to be working.
The fewer distractions you have, the more productive you’ll be.
Conclusion
Working from home isn’t always easy. Sure, it’s nice to be able to work in your pajamas. But if you don’t keep yourself on track, your productivity can go out the window.
So, you should make sure to keep your home office in order. By organizing your office for efficiency, you’ll be far more productive during the day.
The tricks above will help you stay organized so you can get more done. Put them into action and you’ll find that you’re more productive than you’ve ever been!