Before reading this article, take a quick moment to look around your desk and take inventory of what you see. Is it neat and tidy or a disorganized mess that could use a little help?
Here are some tips for how to organize a desk at home or work, as well as useful desk organization ideas to help you be more productive and happy while using your desk space.
Make Sure Everything Has a “Home”
Regardless of whether you work in a corporate office or remotely from your own home, your desk needs to be a space that minimizes stress and maximizes productivity.
A great starting point for how to organize a desk at home or in your office is to designate a specific place for each item on and in your desk. For example, pens and pencils should be all in one place, while chargers should be stored in a single container and business cards neatly stacked rather than scattered around. Desk drawer dividers with multiple compartments are great for implementing these desk organization ideas.
Meanwhile, cord chaos is one of the biggest causes of a messy desk, so consider managing cords with Velcro ties and using Command hooks to run them neatly along your desk.
Create Labeled File Folders for Documents
When figuring out how to organize a work desk or a home office desk, labels are your best friends. Depending on your business, you may want to label folders to identify documents to review, bills to pay, and client correspondence. Then arrange your file folders in file folder racks, letter trays, or stacking supports so you can easily see and use the ones you need.
Make the Most of Vertical Space
If you work in a small space, your desk may get messy because of lack of storage. One of the best solutions for how to organize your desk in a cramped area is to use the vertical wall space available. A DIY honeycomb rack, pegboard, simple shelves, or floating cubbies above your desk can free up lots of room on your desktop and in the drawers too.
Open and File Mail Daily
Even if you’ve chosen every paperless billing option available and opted out of bulk mailings, chances are that you still receive a fair amount of paper mail. By the end of each day, open and sort the mail you receive so that it doesn’t pile up and make you feel overwhelmed later in the week.
Separate Trash, Recycling, and Shredding
Once you’ve gone through your mail, maintain separate bins near your desk for trash and recyclable materials, as well as for documents that need to be shredded. This will reduce clutter on your desk and prevent you from having to sort through a stack of mixed papers on a messy desk in the future.
How NYC Office Suites Can Help
Connecting people with great work spaces is our business, and we can assist you with much more than just desk organization ideas! Contact NYC Office Suites to learn more about renting professional office space, accessing accommodating meeting rooms, and using virtual office solutions to be more organized and productive with the projects you care about.