How Can I Declutter My Home Office?

With millions of us working from home over the past year, our work lifestyle has changed dramatically. Most of us didn’t foresee needing to work at home for so long, which meant we didn’t fully prepare our workspaces, but it’s become the norm now. It’s very easy to clutter our desks and be surrounded by things we don’t need, which is why We Buy Any House have looked into the best ways to organize our home offices and help us stay productive.

1. Go paperless

One of the biggest issues that we face when clearing out a desk is unnecessary sheets of paper. A lot of the time, these pieces of paper aren’t important or even relevant, but it’s easier to file them and keep them in the bottom drawer out of the way in case there is something that we need down the line – taking up space that could be used more effectively.

Going paperless is a great way to declutter your desk and drawers, as well as keeping you more organized and reducing your waste. You can look at online notepads that will allow you to list your day-to-day tasks without needing to reach for a piece of paper and a pen; some of these will allow you to create collaborative notebooks too, making project work much easier. If you do have paperwork that you’re concerned you might need to refer to down the line, scanning them and uploading them to your computer will let you keep the information without having to store endless amounts of paper.

2. Separate work from home

Almost every home has got a junk drawer that’s home to bits and bobs that don’t seem to belong anywhere else, and desks are often guilty of being the same. If you’re opening your desk drawers and finding lots of things that aren’t work-related, it’s time for them to go.

If you were previously using your desk drawers for storage around the home and just didn’t clear them out before you started working from home, you can look into either splitting the space that you’ve got or branch out and get alternative storage. If you’ve got three drawers on your desk, you can use the top one for work and the others for home storage so you can know that your work things are undisturbed and easy to find when you need them.

3. Think minimalist

It’s incredibly easy to clutter flat surfaces, which is why desktops can often become overrun with things that you don’t need. A lot of offices have a clear desk policy to avoid cluttering problems, so bringing the idea of getting a desk mounted wireless charger at home office that can help you stay more organized. This will give you the space that you need to work rather than having a lot of messy wires around the furniture.

The best way to do this is to be strict with the things that you keep out on your desk and to put as much as possible away at the end of each day. Clutter builds up over time, so if you’re regularly putting items back into folders and drawers, you’ll avoid losing much space. If you don’t have much storage space, you can look at getting a desk organizer, allowing you to have the important things you need within arm’s reach while keeping them tidy.

4. Make it comfortable

Commonly, a messy desk is a home to things that you don’t really care about which is why you don’t have the drive to organize them. Look at the items that you have on your desk and think about how regularly you use them and if they’re helpful to you. Do you really need several different rulers and hole punchers when you have minimal physical paperwork to deal with? If not – they need to go!

Get rid of things that you know you don’t use, but also look at bringing a few things into your workspace that you like, to make it a more enjoyable place to spend the majority of your day. This can be photographs of your family to a potted plant; anything that brings a bit of life to your desk. Appreciating the items that you have on there will mean that you’re more likely to look after space and keep it organized, as well as making it a more comfortable experience when you’re working.

Keeping your workspace decluttered can feel like a never-ending job, but it will make your work life much easier and keep your desk looking professional!

Read Also: How to Declutter Your Home in 4 Easy Steps