Who knew that the state of your office would affect the state of your mind?  Simplifying things around your office, whether at home or in a building, will lead to greater peace of mind and a more productive environment.

Your office doesn’t start off in a mess.  The desk is clean, papers are in piles, and you can see the telephone.  Every time you walk in, you are ready to work because everything looks so neat.  Over time, all of that usually changes.

For a home office, clutter is a unique problem.  The clutter is not only papers and mail for your business but also other people’s stuff:  kids’ toys, newspapers, kids’ homework, and odds and ends.  The possibilities are endless.

It has been eluded to that an out-of-control office space can lead to a depressive state of mind.  The process of finding what you need when you need it is frustrating.  The thought of taking the time to slim down those towering piles of paper creates anxiety.  Dealing with that adds to the pressure of work deadlines.

Help is on the way.  Here are five tips to change your view in and of your office space.

1.  Do a little every day. If your office is already a mess, the problem won’t resolve itself in a day.  You don’t have to take a vacation day to clean your office.  Instead, create a plan of attack detailing what decluttering tasks need to be tackled around the office.  For the first week or so, those piles might still seem daunting, but relax in the knowledge that you are whittling it away.

2.  Stop junk mail at the door. Junk mail has a way of piling up…everywhere.  Most people hit the highlights of their mail as they walk to their desk or back in the house.  Anything that you know is an advertisement, throw it away right away.

3.  Make use of filing cabinets. They are there to help you.  Use hanging folders inside to organize invoices, finished project paperwork, requisitions and more.  If the paper is in a filing cabinet it is off of your desk.  Easy to read labels assist you to find any of this information later.

4.  Go paperless. In today’s society, more and more businesspeople are throwing off the paper for the virtual.  Instead of keeping dozens of paper invoices, create computer files for the information.  If you need a copy of the invoice, it’s as simple as accessing the file and printing it.  To avoid losing the information, back it up on a flash drive or hard disk.

5.  Put everything in its place. Every home or office has a junk drawer.  That’s where the odds and ends we can’t be bothered with organizing seem to end up.  Instead of creating a black hole in your office, find a place for everything right down to the paper clips, and stick to it.

Organizing a mess is not easy.  However, once you’ve decluttered that office you will feel better about working there.  Make a deal to avoid future clutter by using the above five tips.

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