Some old sayings can be taken with a pinch of salt, but there’s one old adage that rings true: Tidy home, tidy mind.
Now you may have heard a slightly different take on the saying over the years — tidy room, tidy mind; tidy desk, tidy mind — but the message remains the same. Decluttering your space declutters your mind, allowing you to feel good and in turn, for your productivity and creativity levels to spike.
Far from just an old cliché, many mental health experts support the theory.
“There’s significant research to highlight the benefits of an ordered and decluttered environment,” says Positive Psychologist Dr Suzy Green, founder of The Positivity Institute.
“Clutter can have a negative impact on sustained attention — a high level of visual stimuli in our environment is naturally going to compete for our attention, meaning it can be difficult to get what we need and quick. This can result in feelings of stress and overwhelm, which should be avoided in any workplace.”
The trick is knowing how to declutter. Here, some quick and easy decluttering tricks whatever your workspace looks like.
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1. An at-home studio space
If you work from home, either part or full-time, or are looking to turn a passion project into a profitable business, carve out a chic and calming working-from-home zone in your house.
Keep the room’s colour palette neutral and muted, and opt for Scandi-style furniture that has a minimalist feel. Officeworks offers a great range of desks, sideboards and storage units in pale timbers that work beautifully with a pared-back colour scheme. “Having a simplified workspace with a minimalist touch will provide the opportunity to focus, with less detail to detract us from the task,” says Dr Green.
If space is short, think about smart storage solutions such as bookshelves that offer multiple purposes; a place to display moodboards and inspirational quotes as well as somewhere to keep files and other organisational necessities, such as storage trays, racks and boxes. A laptop or tablet will also help save space and ensure you’re connected and available wherever you are. Try Samsung S2 8″ WiFi Galaxy Tab 32GB Black.
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2. A high-tech co-working environment
If you work in a co-working, high-tech environment, ergonomic workstations and good organisation are key elements for you.
Focus on kitting out each workstation with tools that will help you succeed. Think: adjustable sit-stand desks that encourage good posture, widescreen desktop computers, bluetooth devices such as J.Burrows Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard, and portable tech that will allow you to be contactable and responsive on-the-go.
Now you may rely on the Seagate 5TB Expansion Desktop Hard Drive for backup, but you still need a good ol’ fashioned pen and paper sometimes! Officeworks stock a large range of modern and designer stationery and storage solutions that will fit in seamlessly with your space’s modern aesthetic.
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3. An industrial style space
If you’re working out of a converted warehouse, garage or barn — or simply love interiors with an industrial-style vibe — look no further than Officeworks. The office supply giant has heaps of filing cabinets and other essential storage items that will help you create a utilitarian, industrial vibe that’s clear from clutter.
Open shelving and raw materials (read: lots of wood and metal) will help you achieve your desired working space. But, with all that open space, you’ll need a good storage system in place so stock up on leather-bound boxes, metal drawers and magazine racks, plus cardboard and wooden boxes.
Any time you feel your desk becoming messy and uncluttered, simply pile papers into the boxes and sort them out at the end of the day, once you’ve ticked off your To Do list. You’ll feel much more productive for having that mess out of sight and stored away neatly. “Investing half an hour at the beginning and end of the day can assist in bringing order and focus to the multiple tasks you need to achieve,” says Dr Green.
A creative space such as this calls for adaptable tech. Update a bulky desktop computer with a 2-in-1 tablet that suits both work and play, such as Lenovo Yoga Book 10″ Tablet Grey. With a halo keyboard, predictive input, auto correct and digitiser pen, it’s the ultimate office solution for creatives.
This article is sponsored by Officeworks
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