Congratulations! You’ve set up your home office, since it’s practically a long term thing now. But do you think that something’s missing, or wondering why your workspace is a total mess? Well, setting it up is only the first step. The next step would be to organise it, so that things don’t get in the way, and you can maximise work potential. Read on to pick up some home office tips for better organisation!
1) Use Organisational Tools
You might have even thought of this yourself, so yay! Organisational tools come in many different forms, and have many different functions. There are clear containers/toolboxes for stationery, paper trays, desk sorters, drawer dividers… Pick out what you need, and sort and categorise your supplies neatly for that clean, minimalistic look.
2) Use Your Wall
If your workspace is up against a wall, don’t waste that blank wall space. For instance, you could put up/design a working wall calendar, or put up a type of board you prefer. A pegboard could be especially useful for both function and decor, depending on the nature of your job. But wall ideas don’t just have to be limited to boards, which brings us to our next item…
3) Shelves
Shelves, cabinets, cubbies; whatever you want to call them, these are definitely an essential for your organisational needs. In relation to the item above, you can install floating shelves above your desk, so that you can store items you might need frequently there. They’re out of your way, but not too far that getting them would be troublesome. Cubbies are great to take organisation a step further, as you can also get bins to store your items for each individual rack.
4) Add Some Beauty
With that, we mean decorate and include some of your favourite items at your workspace/in your home office. Not only are they aesthetic, but they actually also help keep your space free of junk and clutter. I’ve done this myself even before coming across this tip, and I can confirm that it works. It’s so pretty and you love it so much that you don’t want to move it, hence you won’t try to take up that space anymore. It works wonders.
5) Display Your Inspiration
Sometimes you just have to inspire yourself. That can actually mean a lot of things, but for your home office, it can mean putting up your goals, pictures of places you want to travel to, your favourite quotes that keep you going, pictures of your loved ones… In case you’re wondering, yes, I have this up on my wall as well. My wall is full of postcards, quotes, and pictures. It makes me happy, and the postcards of different countries remind me that I’m earning to travel, so I better get cracking.
6) Free Your Desk
Your desk should be as neat and tidy as possible, with just the bare essentials of what you need to work. That might be your laptop, a monitor, a mouse, some basic stationery, your favourite beverage, and not much more than that. A cluttered desk can apparently also clutter your mind and distract you, so Marie Kondo your desk and use one of the five tips above to get things into their new homes.
7) Cords Away
What’s worse than a cluttered desk is possibly a cluttered desk full of tangled wires. We do rely heavily on electronics nowadays, and that means lots of wires, if only for charging purposes. At the very least, you can get some cord clips, or just wrap them up using a zip tie just so they look neater, or you can invest in more sophisticated cord management systems. Alternatively, set up an electronics station where your printer and chargers will be, and keep your immediate workspace cord-free as much as possible.
8) Dump It
The above a bit too overwhelming for you? We feel you. In that case, we present to you a simple starting point: pick out three things you don’t need anymore, and throw them away. You might find more trash after these three things, and somehow just manage to get into your own organisation. If not, stop at just the three things, and try again the next day. You’ll still get it done either way.
9) Make Time for Organisation
Just like everything else, organising your workspace needs some dedicated time as well. Maybe you like to do it every day, once a week, or once a month. Whichever it is, stick to the schedule, and form a habit to organise your workspace. It gives you a chance to “restart”, clear away unwanted things, and switch things up if you decide to move things around, which can help with a feeling of purpose.
10) Start Now
Well, all talk and no action will prove to be pointless. What better time than now to get started on organising your workspace? We recommend trying no. 8 for a quick one, since the rest might need some time and planning. Alternatively, if you want some inspiration, hop on over to Pinterest and check out everyone else’s sleek, clean, creative home office organisation. That might spur you into action!
