How to Keep your Home Office Space Free From Clutter?

A home office is where you do all the hustle. It’s the space in your house where you get things done. Because of that, your home office tends to clutter and gets messy most of the time. This is true especially when it’s the time of the month when you’re beating the deadlines – papers, reports, invoices, are just some of the stuff that goes all over the place every time. But let’s face it, a cluttered space will also clutter your mind, which can result in unproductive work day – really, who wants to work when your space is a chaos? That is why a home office organisation is a must.

Working from home is amazing – fact! But working from the convenience of your home where you can just be casual and a little bit carefree in your pajamas is actually a recipe for clutter. Unlike in a regular office setting where your boss is watching and your space is publicly displayed, working in your home office is different. You wouldn’t feel that guilty leaving your empty takeout box from your favorite Chinese restaurant when you’re too tired to throw it away. Can you imagine the possibilities if you don’t stick to your home office organisation mantra?

You guess it right! For someone who has a home office, maintenance is key. It is important to be committed when it comes to the little tasks and chores that will help you keep your place organise.

With that, here are some home organising ideas and tips on decluttering because we like to help you like that!

Sort your papers out – Papers, papers, papers! Nothing accumulates fast in your home office than papers. But let’s face it, there’s no getting away with them. Your best option is to take control. For your files not to eat up your space, manage them efficiently and practice the – Shred / Toss / File system.

Filing system – Decide which papers to let go for good and keep the important files in an organised filing system. To efficiently organise, separate your files into different, color-coded categories. Each folder should be labeled accordingly.

Mail station – There is no keeping control of the papers getting inside your home if you don’t create a mail station. To do this, simply make a folder for incoming and outgoing mail, bills, and a folder for each one in the household. Sort the mail as soon as it comes in, and go through each folder once a week.

Use containers – Pens, markers, paper clips, rubber bands, sticky notes, among many others do look colorful and nice, but they better be kept out of sight. Store office supplies using containers, baskets, and bins. Keeping these office essentials out of sight will instantly give your desk a neat look.

Use labels – You cannot have an efficient home organization without labels, you just can’t! Labels are important to mark each container or storage for easy access, in case you or someone needs something. Besides, if you label your stuff, wouldn’t you feel obliged to put things in their proper place? It wouldn’t have to feel like an actual chore, but something natural, because really, who will place a scissor in a container that’s labeled as pens and markers?

Categorize – You can only label accordingly if you categorize. Make sure to place the same items together, otherwise, you will still have to fish out and scramble through all the containers just to get one particular item. You can categorize your files this way:

• Writing (pencils, markers, pens, etc.)
• Mail (stamps, address labels, envelopes, etc.)
• Budget (calculator, checkbook, etc.)
• Stickies (sticky notes, stickers, tabs, etc.)
• Tools (stapler, puncher, cutter, etc.)

Use binders – For important papers such as medical records, insurance, manuals, auto, receipts, and the sort use binders for easy grabbing in case of emergency. For example, in case you need to go the hospital, you can just take the binder that contains all the information about someone’s medical record out of your shelf easily.

Utilize wall space – Looking for the best space-saving hacks? The answer is right in front of you! Your wall is the perfect place not just to hang decors but for filing systems, whiteboards, shelving, and more. Browse the internet and look for inspiration and ideas. There are so many from minimalist to rustic to cute and colorful, or you can stick with the classic black or white floating shelves. You can choose between wood or steel, you can even tweak and repurposed your old cabinet to fit your needs. Just make sure whatever you mount to your wall is sturdy and safe to avoid accidents.

Organise your books – Organise your books, magazines, and other reading materials by genre or by color. If you choose the latter, you’re not just keeping them in order but you’ll also be creating a stunning design element in your shelves.

Having a home office, whether it’s an entire room or just the little corner under your stairs calls for the same level of commitment. The latter may be easier to manage, but without you sticking to your home office organisation routines can still spell chaos and mess.

No one wants that. For someone who wants to have a productive day whilst juggling other responsibilities such as taking care of the kids, errands and a few more stuff, staying organised is a surefire way to get things done with much more ease. You will get to save not just your energy, but as well as your precious time.  It will help you stay focused on more important things such as your family and yourself during your much needed me time. How? Because why would you spend your weekend staring at the pile of mess, not knowing what to do and where to begin when you can do simple chores – every day – and have a nice and orderly place where you can relax and enjoy your downtime. Isn’t it a way better idea?

How do you make sure your home office is organised? Let us know in the comments section below!