Dump the Junk - How to Declutter Your Desk

I believe just like a tidy room provides a tidy mind, a tidy desk gives one freedom to work.

Whether you work at an office or at home, one easily spends 40 hours or more at one's workspace per week. Some people go to coffee shops or libraries to change their work environments which aid them to think outside the box, but that is not always possible for everyone. Therefore, it is important to make your personal space as comfortable and personal as you can.

I usually go through an organising frenzy of unpacking, cleaning, throwing out and organising my cupboards and drawers during the holidays. Most people do not understand why I find this activity fun. It makes me feel like I'm organising my life and clearing my mind in portions and stages. And afterwards, you're free to live and use your time as you please.

Yesterday our department moved up a floor in the same building (not exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to move up in the world). This was the ideal time to go through the fluff and the junk of one's office space.

But you don't need to wait for an office move. You can do it annually at the end of the year or use the first day back at the office, or when work is not too hectic.

Follow the STOP procedure when decluttering your desk:

S - Stop and Stare

You know that one drawer where you drop those odd things you're not sure what to do with? Now is a great time to unpack it. Go through every item one by one and ask yourself: Do you use it often? Does it have sentimental value? Can you make digital scans of your notes and documents? If it doesn't serve a purpose or it's broken, throw it out.

Have a bunch of sticky notes with scribbles you can't throw away yet? Stick them all in a notebook and write them down in one place later. Or create a note document on your computer. Whatever you do, make a note of it (not on a sticky note!) or you will have to deal with it again in the next decluttering cycle.

T - Tidy Up

Now for the boring part, the tidying up. Cleaning your desk, drawers and even the floor will make your workspace look as good as new. Or as close to new as it can, at least.

O - Organise!

Hopefully, you've got less junk to put back in the trunk. You can also use this step as a second throw-out phase. When you organise your documents into files, for example, you might find that you have duplicates or outdated notes which you can recycle.

Try to keep similar items together: stationery, paperwork, food (yes, we know about your snack drawer) and personal items.

P - Position

This for me is the fun part. Here you can play around with positioning, how you want your desk to be arranged and decorated. Keep simplicity in mind. Not necessarily minimilistic, but if that's how you roll, then go for it!

Also keep the size of your desk in mind. A lot of stuff on a small desk will give it a disorganised feeling, as if you don't have enough space. Spread it out too much on a big desk and you can't easily reach your phone. Less stuff just means you have less to clean and organise, plus you have more space for your cat to act like a desk ornament.

Clutter is not just physical stuff. It's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self. - Eleanor Brownn

May you all have a great year! I hope you started it off with a clean slate. I mean desk.