Why you should keep your office desk tidy

At the end of another busy day in the office, tidying up your workspace probably is not at the top of your ‘to do’ list. After all, you have spent the day tackling a host of administrative tasks and no doubt you are keen to get home, kick off your shoes and relax; however, a messy, disorganised or untidy desk can cause a number of problems, not least of which is the impact on your health and wellbeing.

How a messy desk creates stress

Mess creates stress

According to Online Career Tips, mess creates stress. When you arrive at an untidy workstation, your stress levels are raised by the sight of files, papers and unwashed coffee cups from the day before.

You might think that you are happy enough working under these conditions, but at a subconscious level you are affected by the sight of a desk in disarray. This is aside from the fact that it is hard to find important documents and prioritise your workload.

Health and cleanliness benefits

Being tidy can help your health in other ways. Whether your organisation employs an after-hours cleaner or an organisation such as www.acecleaningcompany.co.uk/ that provides commercial cleaners Leicester-wide and in the surrounding area, a tidy desk makes it easy to keep clean. Cleaners do not like to disturb desks weighed down with paperwork, old coffee cups and piles of documents, so germs can breed. Keeping your desk tidy enables the cleaning staff to perform a thorough hygienic clean of your workstation and equipment, which is better for you and your colleagues.

Improving efficiency and impressions

Improve efficiency

A tidy and well-organised workstation makes it easy to see at a glance what needs doing. You can prioritise your workload secure in the knowledge that you have not overlooked anything important, with the extra space giving you room to arrange your documents and files to improve your overall efficiency.

Presenting a clear and uncluttered workstation will not only revitalise the way you work but also impress your workmates. A cluttered and messy desk makes it appear that you do not have control over your workload. This creates the impression that you are disorganised, which could harm your promotion prospects.

If you are unable to get into work for any reason, your colleagues may need to retrieve files or papers from your desk, so create the best impression and present them with an organised system.

Summary

This article explains why keeping an office desk tidy matters. It argues that a cluttered desk raises stress levels and makes documents harder to find, that a tidy desk is easier to keep clean and hygienic, and that an organised workstation improves efficiency, creates a better impression on colleagues, and helps others find files if you are ever away.

Questions this article raises

• How much time does a typical worker lose searching a messy desk each week?
• Does desk tidiness really affect how managers judge performance?
• How often should office cleaners realistically be able to access a desk?