The Perfect Desk Set Up

Our physical environment at work can have a profound effect on how we function. It can be very frustrating wasting time looking for paperwork on a cluttered desk. Equally a disorganized computer can lead to wasted time when looking for digital documents. Believe it or not, the amount of clutter we’re exposed to at work can have effects on us cognitively, emotionally and it can also affect our relationship with others.

We often get asked by our clients if we have any recognized ways of optimizing a desk set up for our offices. We’re going to discuss a few simple tips that we recommend to our clients for optimizing the setup of their desks. How you organize your desk will depend on where you work. If you work from home or have a permanent office desk then your set up will be different from someone who frequently has to hot desk or move from place to place. With that said here are a few tips.

In no particular order, let’s get started:

Clearing clutter may seem obvious but it is a very important task if you want to stay organized and productive. This can even be done if you hot desk but on a much smaller scale. Some research has shown that messy desks may be a good sign of productivity, but this is not the case for everyone as many people feel that clear space and organization improves productivity.

Think below. Cluttered desk drawers and other areas below your desk can also be problematic. Make an effort to sort through draws and even add more storage space if you need it to become more organized. The only caveat to doing this is don’t add more under desk furniture if it will compromise your comfort and posture, which will end up causing other problems.

Desk hygiene. While general hygiene in any workplace is important, it is also wise to keep your desk clean and germ free. Always keep a set of wipes handy to clean keyboards, surfaces, phones etc.. Along with this, keeping screens and other parts of your work equipment dust free is also a good idea. In a large office or even in a hot desking environment you may have access to professional cleaners but in a home environment you will be responsible for the up keep of your work space.

Digitise as much as you can. This may sound obvious in today’s work place but the more you’re able to digitize using apps, software and mobile devices the better you’ll be able to declutter. Of course you may be in a role where this isn’t practical and you need to have physical versions of things but a great tip is to digitise or at least minimize everything that you can.

No matter what type of office you work in, having an organised desk can do wonders for productivity and inspiring creativity. We offer a selection of offices and studios here at the Greenhouse and we’ll even organise the desks for you.