Working from home may seem like a dream, but it can bring its own challenges. One of these is maintaining a consistent level of organization around your home office. Studies have shown that spaces free of clutter improve focus and increase productivity. And one of the best ways to free up space from excess clutter is to store it all in a self-storage unit.
If you’re a home-based business or are working from home temporarily, you may have found yourself distracted, it might be time to organize your desk. Wondering how to organize your desk to optimize your home office? We’ve gathered some top tips for organizing your desk that will help you eliminate clutter on your desk surface and boost focus.
Identify What you Need for Work
Naturally, your desk at home may tend to accrue non-work related items. One of the top tips for organizing your desk and maintaining a clean desk space is to identify items that aren’t used to complete work tasks and find a new home for them. Gathering and moving them from your work desk provides the foundation to move forward with a clutter-free home office. Place the non-work related items in either an area that they belong or perhaps store them in a storage unit if you don’t use them frequently.
Move Decorative Items
Consider moving any decorative items off of your desk and to another location. While it can be desirable to maintain a certain aesthetic, those decorative items are taking up valuable real estate in your work space and can contribute to a cluttered desk. Moving them to another location can give you more room to work with and a less cluttered, tidy appearance. If your desk space has family pictures on it, you may consider mounting them to a wall or combining them on a picture board so they are still visible but out of the way.
Manage Your Cables
A key tip for how to organize a desk at home that many people overlook is taming the wild mess of cables moving under or around your desk. If you are setting up a desk in your home office, it’s a good idea to place electronics, like your computer and monitor, where you think you’ll want them and test it for a few days before attempting any cable management. Once you are sure you have your computer and peripherals where you want them, it’s time to tidy up those cables! Use a cable management solution such as a mountable wire tray or cable sleeve to condense and pull cables out of sight, and don’t be afraid to use zip ties in order to keep things tidy.
Label Storage Solutions
A key tip for how to organize your office and desk is to have a place for everything you need. If you have a storage solution for your desk, such as a filing cabinet, create defined boundaries for what items belong where. One way to ensure that this stays consistent over time is to buy a label maker and label each drawer or storage area. Clear labeling of your office supplies will ensure you have quick, easy access to whatever you need, while also discouraging messiness down the road.
Expand Your Storage Capacity
Tight on storage around your home? Once you remove any non-essential items or documents from your home office, you’ll need somewhere to put them. It’s a good idea to organize those items as you remove them. Store them with similar items in your home if you have existing storage.
If you find you need extra storage space, the easiest solution is to expand your home storage with a personal storage unit at your local Price Self Storage facility. No matter what your storage needs are, you’ll find a solution that allows you to expand your work storage space. A pro tip to keep in mind when packing a storage unit is to be sure to label any boxes before putting them into storage. This will allow you to access them easily when you need them.
Closing Thoughts
Ready to declutter and get organized with a storage unit? Organizing your desk and your home office is important not only to reduce clutter but also to maximize productivity and improve focus. If you’ve been working from home or have a home-based business and are finding that it’s difficult to concentrate, take some time to implement these office organization ideas and refresh your home office. If you have little ones at home, figuring out how to organize kids toys and keep them away from your office space becomes even more of a necessity.
The simple way to start organizing your desk is to identify all of the stuff on or around your office that you don’t actually need for work. Remove those personal items, then begin organizing the office supplies you actually need to work from home. Any storage solution and file folders you use in your home office should be clearly labeled with a label maker so you can quickly and easily find items you need.
Storage is the Solution
For all of the items you removed from your home office, incorporate them into existing storage around your home containing similar items, or create new storage that is clearly labeled. If you find you need a bit more space to store those items, consider a storage unit at your local Price Self Storage facility.
Our Free Concierge Service will connect you with a storage professional who can help you assess your storage needs and provide you with clear storage options. With just a few easy questions, your storage unit will be reserved and waiting for you. For more organization ideas and storage tips, check out our blog!
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