Do you ever feel like your mind gets so sidetracked that you can barely make any progress on a project? If this sort of distraction sounds familiar to you, you may not need to look any further than your personal work environment. The clutter around you could be contributing to your lack of productivity. Time to clean up those papers sprawled across your desk and the leftover coffee mug sitting by your computer.
Clutter commands our senses, pulls us away from our tasks and redirects our attention to all the items around us. Similar to multitasking, it overwhelms our senses and actually makes us less efficient, creative and focused. Cleaning and organizing your space is a form of self-care because it decreases stress and anxiety while promoting a calm, peaceful working environment.
Your desk is a great place to start the decluttering process. Begin by clearing everything off and giving it a deep clean. As you begin to place items back on your desk, consider each item and decide if it’s truly useful to your work environment. Ideally, the top of your desk should be limited to your computer, the documents you are working on and maybe a personal photo or two. Everything else can be neatly organized in a drawer.
If you want to take your decluttering to the next level, begin to tidy up your digital life. Remove those old, unnecessary files from your computer, unsubscribe from email lists and limit the social media notifications you receive on your phone. Following these simple steps will help you reduce your mind clutter and reign in your focus and energy.
Written By: Tori Parsons, Wellness Workdays Dietetic Intern
Sources:
1. mindbodygreen 2. Lifehack