With too much on your plate, it can be hard to stay on top of all the little details you need to stay organized. Because of this, many people have an overabundance of clutter on their desks and in their lives that they just can’t seem to get under control no matter how hard they try.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can combat desk clutter so that you’re more efficient and productive at work or at school, and here are just seven of them!
1) Use shallow drawers
Small desks can be cluttered quickly, but there are a few tricks you can use to keep them clean and organized. One of the best ways is by using shallow drawers. These drawers offer a lot more storage space than deep drawers, because they don’t go very far into the desk.
They also allow for more access to the bottom of the drawer, meaning you can fit more items inside of it. Deep drawers are great if you only need one or two things in them, but if you have too many items crammed into them, then they won’t close properly.
The other downside is that it’s difficult to see what’s at the bottom of these drawers when they’re closed, meaning it becomes much easier for things to get lost down there!
2) Throw out stuff you don’t need
Throw out stuff you don’t need. This is where the one in one out rule comes into play. If you have an item that you don’t use, then throw it away. Use a trash can with a lid and a recycling bin for smaller items like pens, paperclips, etc.
Make sure the bins are close together, so everything fits nicely on your desk without moving around too much when you need something from the other side of your desk. Be vigilant about not letting items fall between piles of papers on your desk, which can make them hard to find later if necessary.
3) Put everything in piles
No matter how much room you have, it’s inevitable that your desk will get cluttered. To keep your small desk clutter-free, divide up your piles into three categories: keep, toss, and maybe.
Put everything in piles in the first category, things you want to keep. Put everything in the second pile that doesn’t make sense for your space or needs any updating. Put everything in the third pile that you’re not sure about-maybe you’ll find a use for it later!
4) Have a central charging station
One of the best ways to keep your desk clutter-free is to have a charging station. This way, you can plug your phone in and store all of your chargers on one side.
If you have an external hard drive for storing photos or videos, this can be plugged in as well. You can then store any other cables you may need (such as a printer cable) next to these items. Make sure that everything is organised based on what it’s used for so that it’s easy to find what you need when you need it.
5) Use monitor arm for your computer
You can also use a monitor arm to hold your monitor. This will free up your desktop space and give you more room for other items. Have one that rotates 360 degrees, which is great for working on multiple projects.
It’s really easy to adjust the height, so it won’t be in the way of anything else on the desk. If you have a heavy monitor that weighs up to 15 kg, consider the Actiflex heavy duty single monitor arm.
The arm holds the weight of my monitor without any issues, so this would be a good solution if you want an extra piece of equipment like a printer or scanner but don’t want it to take up additional room on your desk.
6) Get rid of things regularly
This should be a no-brainer, but you can’t have too many reminders about how important it is. First, take a look at your desk. If you see something that doesn’t belong there, get rid of it.
If you’re not sure what belongs there, put it back in the box or the drawer where you found it. Then take another look around your desk. If anything else looks out of place or like it needs to go somewhere else, move it now!
7) Buy fewer storage devices, use online storage instead
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you’re in need of more storage space, buy less storage. The more clutter you have on your desk, the harder it will be for you to find what you need when it’s time to work.
It’ll also make it difficult for anyone who wants to work at your desk. By using the right tools such as digital storage (Dropbox, Google Drive), one can keep their small desk clutter-free and organized.
Final Words
The key is finding the right organisational solutions for your needs. You don’t need a tonne of fancy things in order to keep your desk or office organized.
A simple set of drawers, a few boxes, bins, and baskets will do the trick. Just make sure you find some solutions that will work for you and that won’t take up a lot of space on your desk or in your office.
