Clean desk, clear mind

By measuring brain activity, ­scientists at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute have shown that our brains like order, and that visual reminders of disorganization reduce our focus. They also report that when participants cleared away the clutterGerümpelclutter from their workspaceArbeitsplatz/-bereichworkspace, they were able to concentrate and understand information better, raising productivity.

Marie Kondo, the declutteringEntrümpelungdecluttering expert, has a two-step method: First, look at everything you own and ask yourself if it gives you joy. If it doesn’t, throw it out. Second, keep the joy-giving things where they are easy to see and access.

This idea needs to be adapted for the workplace. Your staplerHefterstapler, for example, may not give you much joy but is sometimes useful. “onehier: manOne doesn’t necessarily think of the office as a place of joy, but people have anxiety(innere) Unruhe, Sorgeanxiety when they are not in control,” says Ben Soreff, from the company House to Home Organizing. “By taking back control of your workspace, you can work better and more efficiently.” 

Some companies have introduced a hot-desking system, in which ­employees don’t have assignedzugewiesen; hier: festassigned desks or workstations. They come in and take the next available spotPlatz, Stellespot — and this space must be decluttered at the end of each day, so that someone else can use it.

However, many (perhaps most) of us have two regular workspaces: one at work and ­another at home. Without the peer pressureGruppendruckpeer pressure to tidy upaufräumentidy up, what’s the best way to declutter a workspace — and keep it that way?

Remove and sort

Start by clearing your workspace entirely and identifying everything. As you remove itemArtikel, Gegenstanditems, categorize them into four groups:

• Keep: things you use daily or regularly
• donatespendenDonate: items in good condition that you no longer need
• Recycle: anything that can be repurpose sth.etw. einer neuen Verwendung zuführenrepurposed
• discard sth.etw. wegwerfen, entsorgenDiscard: broken or old items that no longer serve a purpose

Ask yourself a few questions as you look at each item: Does this have a purpose? Do I use it regularly? Am I keeping it because I need it, or ­because I might need it? Was I aware that it was here?

Organize based on practicality

oncehier: sobaldOnce you’ve reduced the clutter, ­rearrange the items in your workspace according to how frequently you use them. You might use a notepadNotizblocknotepad and pen every day, for example, but how often do you need a hole punchLocherhole punch? 

The things you use daily should be near to hand — on your desktop or in the top drawerSchubladedrawer. Keep your other supplieshier: Material, Zubehörsupplies in lower drawers, according to the priority you assign them. The items you use least should be furthest away from you.

Control your cables

We’re all familiar with the messychaotisch, unordentlichmessy tangleDurcheinander, Gewirrtangle of cables hanging from a desk. I’ve heard English speakers call this “cable spaghetti” but that’s not quite as catchyeinprägsam, eingängigcatchy as the German expression Kabelsalat. Messy cables can be a problem when something goes wrong with your electronics. It might be worth investing in a system that secure sth.hier: etw. (sicher) verstauensecures cables, keeping them ­organized and out of sight.

Storage solutions

If your profession requires a lot of paper documents, a high-quality storageAufbewahrungstorage solution can make life much easier. The same is true of our own private documentation, such as utility billRechnung eines Versorgungsunternehmensutility bills and tax receiptSteuerbelegtax receipts.

Drawer organizers, filing cabinetAktenschrankfiling cabinets and storage bin (UK)Aufbewahrungsbehälterstorage bins can help you stay organized over time. Transparent containers let you see the contentshier: Inhaltcontents without opening them. And if you labeletw. beschriftenlabel your storage solutions, it’ll be a lot easier to find things. Also, think three-dimensionally: wall-mounted shelfWandregalWall-mounted shelves, for example, can free up valuable desk and floor space.

Go digital

Digital technology has opened up new possibilities and lowered physical storage requirements. Cloud storage can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection and lowers the risk of documents getting lost or damaged. Where possible, ­going digital is a good option, but you’ll need to find the right balance.

Make decluttering a routine

Take ten minutes a day to make decluttering part of your routine. Just tidying up your desk at the end of each day will soon feel like a natural part of your day, and it will stop you from feeling overwhelmedüberwältigt, überfordertoverwhelmed by clutter.

The interior-design company OKA reports that people make better decisions in a tidy space, and over 80 per cent of people say they feel more productive and in control.