7 Minimalist Tips For A Tidy And Productive Workspace

You may have heard the phrase, “A clean home is a happy home,” and the same rings true for your workspace. Research has long shown that clutter is associated with stress and overall life dissatisfaction, and while decluttering your desk won’t necessarily eliminate job stressors, it can help make your workspace more productive, peaceful, and beneficial for your mental health.

The psychology of your surroundings

While it may come as a surprise, your workspace can have a major impact on your work attitudes and behaviors. Sometimes, you might not even realize how powerful the effect is. Whether you work remotely, hybrid or onsite, your physical work surroundings can shape your experience of work, influencing everything from your wellbeing to your boundary management.

As modern society gravitates towards a minimalist “less is more” attitude, it’s one of many reasons why tidying up your workspace is an increasingly growing movement. If you’ve ever wondered why organizing and decluttering TV shows are just so popular and satisfying to watch, it’s because our brains really do feel better when our homes and lives are organized.

Key elements of a productive workspace

A tidy workspace goes far beyond simply keeping papers in a neat stack and putting pens away in a pen holder. It’s about the environment as a whole and how it impacts your work. A recent Harvard Business Review study discovered four key elements of a productive workspace:

• Functional: physical attributes that facilitate your work

• Sensory: lighting, sounds, smells, textures, colors and views

• Social: opportunities for interpersonal interactions

• Temporal: markers of your past accomplishments or future aspirations

7 Minimalist Tips For A Tidy And Productive Workspace

Your workspace serves as an extension of your identity, so it’s important to not only keep it clean and functional but have it be all-encompassing of who you are and your goals. This, however, is often easier said than done, and it can be tough to figure out where to start.

Whether you work onsite, hybrid or remote, or you switch between multiple workspaces, there are steps you can take to clean, organize and tidy up your office. These seven hacks can help you declutter your physical work environment for good, regardless of your work arrangement.

 

They also incorporate all four key elements of a productive workspace (functional, sensory, social and temporal). We recommend starting with step one and then working down the list.

Evaluate your workspace

First things first, you’ll want to evaluate your current workspace(s). Consider this an audit of how your workspace makes you feel. Do you feel calm and energized sitting down at your desk, or does your desk fill you with anxiety and stress? Do you dread having to sift through piles of documents to find what you’re looking for, or are your essential items in easy reach?

 

Review your workspace from a physical and mental perspective to determine how it affects you. Be sure to identify needs both big and small. Research shows that even minor changes to your environment can stimulate different styles of thinking and influence your overall wellness.

Identify areas for improvement

Identifying areas for improvement can take on many forms. Perhaps your desk is too busy and your number one goal is decluttering, or your office is tough to focus on (investing in daylight bulbs can be a great way to boost productivity). Or, maybe your Zoom background shows off a messy space to clients and colleagues. While you may have more flexibility with a home office space when it comes to look and style, you can still clean and organize an employer workspace.

 

Once you identify areas of improvement, you can take action and work towards those goals.

Sort what you need

This step is one of the most important when it comes to traditional cleaning and organizing. Like a home, a clean desk is a happy desk, and decluttering can help reduce stress and anxiety. Before you actually organize, you’ll want to give your workspace a thorough cleaning out. Start by making three separate piles for what you want to keep, what you may want to donate and what you’re considering throwing away, then sort your items accordingly.

 

In the latter, you can place things like old documents, broken pens and used notebooks. If an item isn’t essential to your job duties and doesn’t have personal meaning, you can donate it or place it in a storage bin for later use. For any items you keep, arrange them like prime real estate. Items that are used the most should get the best locations or be the easiest to reach.

Add personal meaning

A productive workspace should feel uniquely yours. This includes decorating in styles, colors and textures that make you happy. It also means adding personal touches and mementos, such as framed photos of loved ones, awards or souvenirs. A productive workspace should reflect your professional journey, but should also incorporate things that ultimately give you meaning.

 

Still, be sure not to go overboard with keepsakes, as this can re-clutter your desk all over again. For a clean, functional look that still gives warmth and a personalized feel, you can also consider adding fresh or faux greenery to your work area, such as plants or low-maintenance flowers like orchids. These also make an excellent backdrop for in-person and virtual meetings.

Incorporate functional storage

Adding functional storage solutions to your workspace can be as simple as arranging notepads and paper clips in a three-tier desk organizer or as major as purchasing new office furniture. For a minimalist look, consider task lamps with built-in storage or stackable organizing trays to hold your documents and papers. These space-saving solutions are a great option for those who work onsite for an employer and don’t have much flexibility with their workspace or furniture.

 

Don’t forget to look at your cables as well. Computer, light and electronics cables can easily clutter even the cleanest of workspaces, so you may want to consider investing in low-cost cable management solutions such as cable ties or cable sleeves for a tidy, functional look.

Think horizontal and vertical

If you work from home in a particularly narrow or small workspace, vertical space can be your best friend. A ladder-style desk, for example, takes up minimal room while offering space-saving storage. You can also add shelving above you to store items that would otherwise clutter your desk. L-shaped desks are another smart option that can be tucked into a corner to keep your workspace open and functional, yet offer enough space and/or drawers for ample storage.

 

Still, don’t be afraid to make a case to your employer for onsite jobs with furniture that just isn’t serving you well. If your desk is much too small for you to complete your job duties or your workspace could benefit from storage solutions like bookcases, speak to your manager.

Utilize digital storage

Not everything needs to be stored on your desk (or even in your drawers), especially if your job consists of many documents. Taking advantage of digital storage can save you a surprising amount of space and can actually make it easier to sort and access files and photos. Storage and file-sharing services like Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive are a great way to keep your files online and off of your desk, helping your space maintain that minimalist feel.

The bottom line

Your workspace plays an important role in your productivity. Tidying up your desk can be an effective strategy for reducing stress and anxiety at work, and while it won’t make your job easier, it can help you better cope with job stressors and perform your job duties. Not to mention, having a clean and organized workspace can simply make you feel good.

I hope you find this article helpful.