Why Keeping a Clean Desk Matters

It might sound trite, but here’s the truth: the key to staying creative, productive and focused is to keep a tidy, clutter-free desk. To avoid visual clutter from interfering with productivity, it’s important to keep desktop items to a minimum. 

If you’re starting with a messy desk, clearing the clutter is the perfect opportunity to create a clean slate. Decluttering your desk is not just about stashing loose papers in your drawer and calling it a day. It’s about cleaning your surfaces and drawers for a reinvigorated, energized work space. 

In Feng Shui, old papers and documents can represent stuck, stagnant energy. When you clear out paper clutter and other materials from inside your desk, you’re essentially creating space for exciting new work opportunities. 

Of course, important documents like tax returns, birth certificates and bank statements have a place and should be filed away (my super sleek filing cabinet of choice is by Poppin); however, multiple documents from a long-forgotten project should be freely tossed into a shredder. 

When it comes to decluttering your desk surface, once you free yourself from extraneous visual distractions, your productivity skyrockets. It’s important to only keep items that you use on a regular basis here, such as your laptop, water bottle, notebook and pen. 

Place any office supplies like staplers, tape dispensers, post-its and paper clips in drawer organizers within your desk drawers. Detangle that mess of cables and cords and tuck them away in a cable storage organizer.  

As cute as your golden retriever might be, consider swapping those framed desk photos for a more work-relevant image or quote. This shift will get your brain into work mode and allow you to think more inspiring, creative thoughts. If your desk is away from a window and low on natural light, keep things fresh and energized with a jade plant, which requires little light to thrive.

There’s no hard and fast rule for establishing a regular cleaning routine. I recommend cleaning your desk whenever you’re feeling uninspired or stuck in your work. The simple act of cleaning out your desk will not only energize you, but will also pave the way for new possibilities at work.