Do you ever find yourself getting distracted at work and aren’t too sure why? Do you ever feel that you’re not being as productive as you could be?
One of the reasons for this could be your messy desk.
Do you often find yourself spending ages searching through all the paper on your desk and in your draws to find the stapler you had earlier or the file from this morning? If the answer is yes, you’re not being as productive as you could be! That’s why Prestige Recruitment Group have compiled this list on why a messy desk is bad for you as well as offering you advice on how to get on top of things and clean up that desk!
Here are 3 reasons why a messy desk is bad for you:
1) It Creates Stress
A messy desk is a sure way to increase stress in the workplace. If the first thing you come into work to see is your desk which is sprawled with paperwork and notes, it’s human nature that you’re suddenly going to feel much more stressed than you felt when you went home on the Friday!
If you do have a lot of tasks you need to focus on, having a messy desk just isn’t great for your productivity and stress levels. When it comes to actually getting through that to-do-list, little things like finding that stapler or the file from the morning will be harder than it needs to be as you sprawl through other documents, which decreases productivity and increases stress levels!
As well as this, if you start the day feeling like you’re already behind and need to tidy up, you’re already beginning the day feeling deeply discouraged!
2) It’s Actually Unhealthy
Did you know that the average office keyboard has almost 8,000 bacteria on it? When you have more things out on your desk, whether that’s paperwork, mugs, pens, pencils or folders, you’re increasing the bacteria on your desk! A messy desk can have a real impact on how often you’re sick or feel unwell in the office, so it’s absolutely vital that you take the time to clean it. Taking care of yourself also includes taking care of your work surfaces too.
3) It Affects Your Reputation
At the end of the day, if you have a shared workspace where other people can see your messy paperwork and mugs, they are going to judge you.
If your colleagues think you’re messy, they are also likely to think that you’re unorganised as tidiness and organisation are two features that tend to go hand in hand! If you’re colleagues think you’re messy, they are unlikely to take you seriously in the workplace and this can seriously affect your reputation!
So how can you change?
1) Create a Weekly Cleaning Habit
Every week on a Friday afternoon, take the time to clean through all of the documents that you may have accrued over the week. Organise them into a certain place where you will know exactly where everything is on the Monday morning when you get into the office. By doing this every week, you start the following week in a positive, organised way.
2) Purge Based on Frequency
If you’re not really too sure where to start when it comes to cleaning your desk, you should purge by frequency and look at how often you use certain items. Anything that you tend to use everyday can stay on your actual desk (or inside the top draw), anything you use once a week can be put into a bottom draw and anything you don’t use can go straight in the bin!
3) Treat Yourself
A great way to become organised and clean up your office space is to treat yourself to some new organising tools. Folders, coloured pens, stationary and stickers – anything that will help you label the paperwork or other documents you have clearly which will make it easier for you to stay away from the messy desk!
For more advice on how to organise you and your office workspace, check out our other blog here.