The Power of a Tidy Desk: Spring Cleaning Tips to Supercharge Workplace Productivity

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” ― Albert Einstein

Some believe there are two types of people in this world: the organized and the messy.

Others believe tidiness is more of a sliding scale.

Whichever camp you fall into, there’s no denying that every workplace requires a form of organisation. Otherwise, important files and business documents easily go astray. Aside from the time and stress of looking frantically for that mislaid file, it can dent your professional reputation - and create unwanted security and data privacy issues, too.

So, with spring finally peeping around the corner (if you don’t believe us, head out for a nature walk and see for yourself!), there’s no better time for a spring clean of your workplace.

By refreshing and reorganising your workplace, you and your team can enjoy a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient space - leading to better focus, increased motivation, and improved productivity.

In this guide, we’ll explore top tips for decluttering and optimising your office space to enhance productivity. Let’s dive in!

Destination: Declutter

A messy desk harbours dust, crumbs, and other nasties. This becomes a haven for mould, bacteria, and even viruses. It’s much easier to regularly clean a desk that’s free from clutter, so start with these three decluttering rules:

1. Keep only essentials on your desktop. Remove unnecessary papers, files, and stationery by storing them in drawers or cupboards.
2. Use organizers. Invest in trays, drawer dividers, folders, box files, and pen holders to keep things tidy.
3. Digitize documents. Reduce the paper trail and clear your desk by scanning important documents and storing them digitally.

Deep Clean

UBC office spaces are cleaned regularly by our hardworking team of professionals. We take care of all shared areas, including kitchens, break rooms and meeting rooms, along with individual offices and coworking areas.

However, we won’t touch your personal items.

Keep your desk and surfaces clear to ensure our cleaning team can access your desktop and storage cupboards. That way, we’ll help keep your workplace spick and span.

Optimize Storage Solutions

The easiest way to keep your desk space clear from clutter is to make the most of storage solutions. UBC provides storage cupboards for desks, and you can easily add more as required.

Bring your own storage or browse the full range of solutions from Lyreco, our office supply partner. As a UBC client, you’ll get special discounts on Lyreco supplies.

In particular, look for storage solutions that offer vertical space - it’s a great way to maximize your office space. We also recommend creating a labelling system for files and storage boxes to make it easy to find important documents and supplies.

Improve Ergonomics & Comfort

A clean, decluttered office space looks even better when flooded with natural light, and it’s amazing how much a brightly-lit space can fuel your productivity, too.

Maximize daylight exposure by keeping blinds open, adjusting desk positions, and ensuring windows and light sources aren’t blocked by furniture or storage.

Adding greenery is a great way to improve air quality and create a more inviting atmosphere, too. What’s more, plants can help boost productivity by as much as 15%! Some of the most popular low-maintenance office plants include:

• Snake plant: Grown in dry conditions, it doesn’t need a lot of watering. It’s a stylish plant with broad, sword-shaped leaves that adds a punch of colour to any space.
• ZZ plant: Perfect for adding height, it’s a tall, upright plant that’s easy to grow. It thrives in light, warm spots and doesn’t need a lot of watering.
• Marble Queen pothos: Ideal for hanging baskets. It looks lovely cascading down a shelf or from the top of your newly-added tall storage unit!

Organize Digital Workspaces

In addition to your physical desktop, don’t forget to tidy up your virtual desktop, too. To make important documents easy to find, keep your computer desktop decluttered by deleting unnecessary items and organising files into folders. Use cloud storage to keep your files safely backed-up.

As for your inbox, unsubscribe from irrelevant emails and reduce newsletter frequency. This will help to reduce inbox overload while enhancing focus and productivity.

Finally, make the most of the wealth of productivity tools available to you. Project management tools like Asana or Trello can help you and your team stay organised and on-task, with deadline reminders and reporting tools for more productive working.

How Did You Do?

At UBC, we love nothing more than exploring ways to ramp up productivity. Sometimes, the smallest changes can have the most impactful results. 

If you haven’t tidied your desk for a while, why not make today the day? A few minutes of sorting can help reduce distractions, improve focus, and create a more efficient and pleasant work environment.

Take this opportunity to reset your environment and make a fresh start. Roll up your sleeves, refresh your space, and watch your productivity soar this spring!