When was the last time you did anything more than work at your desk? Seems like a strange question I’m sure but if you cast your mind back, can you actually remember the last time you re-organised all those bits of paper floating around?
What about sorting through that overflowing in-tray or even wiping down the keys you spend roughly eight hours a day tapping? If your desk is anything like mine, it’s in a pretty sorry state of affairs. Given that we spend such a large chunk of our week desk bound, it makes pretty good sense that we really should take stock and re-calibrate our workspace.
A quick desk detox is good for your mental and physical health. Here’s how to tune up and perhaps even improve your productivity, creativity and general wellbeing.
- De-germ – See that keyboard your fingers were glued to mere seconds ago? It’s absolutely crawling with nasties. If you’ve got a few minutes, turn your keyboard upside down and give it a good bang. Once you’ve gotten over the horror at what’s lurking beneath, it’s time to clean up. With winter almost upon us, the germ situation is only going to get worse. A quick spritz with a natural, non-toxic spray is the best way to de-germ your space. For a homemade option, simply mix equal parts lemon juice, white vinegar and baking soda with some water. While you’re getting your spritz on, give your mouse, monitor and phone a going over as well.
- De-clutter – Do you have papers on your desk that date back to 1992? Maybe you’re not that bad but the majority of desks seem to accumulate insane amounts of paper, even in today’s supposedly ‘paper-less’ office.’ Excess clutter and mess is not conducive to a clear mind or productive thought so it’s time to wheel over the recycling bin and get rid of anything that isn’t 100% necessary. File the rest away to be sorted through. Want to take it a step further? Take all your necessary paperwork, scan it and send it to yourself. Pack away the hardcopies to put in storage.
- Re–organise – While desk feng-shui might not be everyone’s cup of tea, a couple of simple tweaks can really improve the energy and ‘flow’ of your workspace. Hey, it’s worth a try! Keeping your desk clean and tidy, incorporating stabilizing colours like cream, yellow and beige, adding a plant and placing an image that inspires you at eye height are all easy ways to improve productivity.
Use these steps to turn your desk into a place where you actually want to spend time. While it can be hard to reconcile the idea of your workspace as a daily sanctuary, that’s ultimately what you want to create. Regardless of how you feel about your job, if you’re spending a large chunk of time there, it’s worth investing some effort in creating a welcoming and warm space.
by Naomi Cotterill
Naomi is a sugar free eating, green smoothie scoffing mum to one toddler and two cats. When not wearing her mummy hat, she writes and blogs about all things parenting, lifestyle and wellness for a number of print and online publications including her own site (Not) Just A Mummy (www.notjustamummy.com) If she’s not blogging, making up songs about eating avocado sandwiches or getting covered with sand at the beach, you can usually find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest
