5 tips to de-stress your desk
- Keep personal items on your desk to a
minimum. That doesn’t mean that that
adorable photo of your kids doesn’t belong in your workspace. It just means that it shouldn’t take up prime
working space real estate. Hang it on
the wall, clip it on a shelf, or better yet, make it your computer screen
saver.
- Pens, scissors, pencils – they just seem to accumulate everywhere on a desk. Take 5 minutes and gather them all in one spot. Now test each of them and toss those that don’t work or that know you won’t ever use. Just how many pens and pencils do you need ON your desk? Grab a spare coffee mug, pencilholder or small basket to store them within easy reach. Put any excess in a nearby drawer. When you need to write something down you’ll never be without a writing implement or grab one that isn’t working.
- Lots of loose papers littering the top of
your desk? Gather them all into one pile
and spend 15 minutes leafing through them.
You’ll be surprised at how much can just be tossed or is ready to be
filed away for future reference. What’s
left should be papers that need action.
Schedule 15 minute each day to accomplish one or more of those action
items and you’ll soon reduce the papers on your desk to only those relating to
current projects.
- Keep a notepad or notebook handy. When you need to write down a quick phone
number, message, confirmation number or reminder you’ll have paper handy and
just one place to look for that information in the future.
- Anything that you use on a daily basis
should be within arm’s length, including reference books, pens, notebooks and
folders. Use it less frequently? Store it a little further away in a desk
drawer, filing cabinet, bookshelf, etc., based on how often you need to use it.