When you are working, your desktop gets messy. It is challenging to keep it clean. In addition, there are so many things such as stationery, documents, books, and specialized tools that it is difficult to know how to store them.
This article will show you how to organize and store things around your desk, including how to divide the shelves between the visible part above the desk and the invisible part below.
Why Do Desks Get Dirty in the First Place? What Are the Causes?
Even if you have taken the trouble to keep your desk clean and tidy, it will be a mess before you know it after a week.
Your desk gets dirty because you are storing things in a way that makes it difficult to return them to their original state. Do you have a pen stand in a drawer where you can put your pens, or do you stack papers in a pile and then put them in a drawer later?
There are many advantages to having a clean desk, including better work efficiency and easier cleaning. Here are some easy ways to tidy up your desk.
4 Points to Keep in Mind Before You Start Organizing Your Desk
Here are four points to check before you start organizing your desk.
Point 1
- The basic principle of tidying up is “throw away.”
- The basic principle of tidying up is to get rid of what you don’t need.
- Let’s start with the process of sorting out what you have and what you don’t. However, documents with a defined retention period in the middle of their term and documents still in continuous use are not included.
Point 2
- Do not leave used items behind.
- To stay organized, you must pay attention to how you use your desk daily. After working at your desk, make it a habit to put things away instead of leaving them behind.
- If you keep in mind to put things away as soon as you use them, you can keep things tidy. Always maintain a comfortable work environment.
Point 3
- Decide on a fixed position.
- To put things away immediately, deciding on a fixed position in advance is a good idea. If you have a fixed position, you can quickly put things back in their original place without thinking about it each time.
- Use trays and drawer dividers to set up a fixed location for the items you use around your desk. It is also an excellent way to prevent forgetting to put things back.
Point 4
- Make it a habit to put things away at the end of the workday.
- Since your desk is a place you use every day, it is essential to get into the habit of cleaning it up.
- You can reset your desk every day by making it a rule to organize your desk at the end of the day and leave it empty.
- It will also help you start work smoothly at the beginning of the workday and prevent information leaks caused by leaving documents and recording media unattended.
What Are Your Storage Tips?
The key to desk storage is to decide on a fixed location. If you have a fixed position, you will not waste time wondering where you put things when the time comes.
Since there are several drawers around the desk, the easiest way to store things is to group them by category, such as “stationery in this drawer,” “documents in the bottom drawer,” and so on.
In addition, it is perfect for placing frequently used items in front of or on top of the drawers, so they are easy to reach.
How Do You Use Drawers and Shelves?
With the basics in mind, let’s tidy up your desk. To keep it clean, it is essential to store it in an easy-to-access manner. To make it easy to use, decide on a fixed position for each of the “top board (desktop)”, “shallow drawer”, and “deep drawer”.
Avoid placing things on the top panel as much as possible.
Try not to put things on the top of your desk that you put there “just for the sake of it. Stationery, documents, and other small items should be placed in drawers or shelves.
However, if used frequently, stationery can be placed on the desk. Computers, monitors, sewing machines, and other items essential for work can be left out similarly.
Keep stationery in a shallow drawer within easy reach.
Since stationery is used daily, please put it in a drawer near the top panel where it is easy to reach. Lay them flat on their sides so you can see at a glance where they are.
Use cutlery cases or other dividers in the drawers to make it easier to sort ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, scissors, and so on.
Put documents in a large drawer.
Put documents in a large, deep drawer near the foot of the drawer. Papers should be stored upright, as stacking them flat makes it difficult to retrieve the ones below.
A Clean Desk is a Comfortable Place to Work
A messy desk makes it easy to get distracted and hard to get motivated. Just looking at it makes it hard to put it away. However, once it is clean and you can keep it unconsciously, it is less likely to become cluttered.
Organizing is easy. You don’t have to do everything at once, just a little at a time from day to day. You’ll have less to clean up, and that’s a good thing.