A Clean Desk Means a Happy Life

I’m not trying to fool you by the title. It means what it says, and I hope some of you can agree that when your desk is organized, your life tends to be a little less stressful. Here is the thing; I caught myself so flustered at my desk the other day that I just wanted to run away. It may seem dramatic, but at the same time I needed to get so much done at once that the pain of going through that many papers would have been a hassle.

Now, I’m not a messy person at all. Most of us are very organized and clean (right?), but sometimes we let our unfiltered lives take their place and BAM! You can’t find the one thing you are looking for at the very moment you need it. Usually when my desk looks like a tornado ran through it, I know it’s time to clean it up. Here are six steps that will make you and your desk happy:

1. Use your free time to clean it.
Cleaning your desk isn’t something that is done in a matter of 10 minutes. You actually have to sit and focus on this because you don’t want to throw any important documents out – that would be scary. This is why you should take a few hours out of your free time to fix the mess. Maybe swap a long nap for these few hours? That may be too much to ask for but trust me; it’s well worth it.

2. Invest in document management software.
Did you know that you could make your work life 100 percent less of a hassle by using document management software such as Contentverse? It’s simple, yet effective. Did you also know that businesses and employees that manage their own files spend between 20 to 40 percent of their time looking for those documents manually? According to IDC Canada, $14,000 worth of productivity is lost per year due to the inability to find the data they need in order to do their job. Believe it or not, that’s $14,000 per worker. Contentverse is a great way to organize your files on your laptop. You can even view your documents on your mobile device, but don’t sweat it! Contentverse is safe and only you can access your documents unless you share them with your fellow co-workers.

 3. Clean your drawers and use them as storage.
We all use our drawers to throw junk in just like our closets and under our beds. What else do we have in our office that is useful enough to throw receipts and candy in? Empty each drawer out one at a time. Why? Because you don’t want what’s in six drawers to pile up on your floor. After you’ve gone through all of your drawers and have thrown out what you don’t want, use each drawer as a separate sanctuary. Put pens, pencils, post-it’s in one drawer and important papers in another. It’s simple and even better once you remember where everything is.

 

4. Wipe the dust away and disinfect.
We never think about disinfecting our desks or even making it a habit to dust the area that we spend most of our days sitting in. After you clear everything off of your desk, wipe it down! Wipe your desk, your chair and everything else you touch. There are so many germs waiting to find the right time to get you sick and that’s usually right before a big presentation or assignment. Clean it before those buggers build up and attack your immune system.

5. Put some pictures up, but not too many.
If you love some desk décor, that’s great. A picture here and there works perfectly fine, but you don’t want to clutter your desk with memorabilia. After all, having all of those footballs and Rubik’s Cubes on your desk may be a little distracting. Feel free to use an empty drawer for those (See! I’m trying to help out the best I can).

6. Always have a calendar nearby.
Your phone is useful when it comes to writing down meetings and engagements but it’s also good to have a desk calendar handy because you never know what will happen to your phone at any given second. It’s also easy to look at meetings and open days when you are on the phone with a client. You don’t want to keep people waiting. Don’t forget: multi-tasking is a wonderful talent.

Believe it or not, cleaning your desk makes you feel refreshed and more productive. I don’t understand how anyone can go on with their lives having piles of papers on their desks. Not only will you have a clean desk but you will also have Contentverse to help you manage your files in a safe and organized manner. That way you’ll have more room for pictures and maybe even a mini basketball net on your desk (I said maybe). A clean desk means more focus working and less time scrambling through papers. The best part is it even declutters your brain. No headaches here!

About the Author:

samantha lebbos Samantha Lebbos is an experienced writer who studied broadcast journalism at Bradley University. While working as a radio traffic producer in Chicago, she is also a correspondent covering events and interviewing today’s top entertainment artists/athletes. Samantha writes for several different online blogs, including Elite Daily. She loves working and attending concerts, writing, traveling, and learning about new cultures around the world.

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