A clutter-free home office

 by Sue Kay

Working from home is many people’s ideal – being able to fit in your hours around childcare and cutting out travel, office distractions, the need to work 9-5.  However in my work organising and decluttering home offices,  I see many people for whom the dream has disintegrated and they are drowning in a sea of paper.  Natural tendencies to procrastinate and be disorganised  have led to them feeling overwhelmed.    

As Kate said “I keep losing things and struggle to separate home and work life.  I find myself doing the laundry when I should be working!”

If this sounds a bit like you then don’t despair, it is possible to be organised and reap the benefits of working from home.

1:  Create a separate office space 

Ideally this would be a separate room  but if you haven’t got enough space, then think carefully about where you want to work.  Bedrooms are not a good idea, they should be a place to unwind and relax.  It is better to partition off part of your living space using  a screen.

2:  Get dressed 

It’s hard to feel efficient when talking to a potential customer in  your pyjamas!

3:  Decide on your hours  

You’ve broken free from the 9-5 rut but it’s easy to drift and start tidying up the kids playroom. So decide on a set number of hours.  Keep a log in your diary, if this helps.  Some people swear it kickstarts their day taking a walk round the block before they start work.

4:  Plan your day 

Make a to-do list and do things in order of importance.  Make the difficult calls first as putting them off and dreading them  can sap your energy all day.

5:  Have a clutter free desk

Basically think of your desk as a place of action.  At the end of each day.  I put all live items into my action tray, file the rest, so I get to start each day with a clear desk.   Keep the minimum of essential items such as pens and a few stationery supplies on your desk.  Try and work on one project at a time so you can keep focused. 

6:  Don’t let post-its clutter up your desk 

Keep a notebook to record phone calls on rather than post-its and scraps of paper. 

7:  Filing 

Invest in a filing cabinet and personalise your filing system.  Does it really need to be in alphabetical order?   Why not file the most used items at the front of your drawer or cabinet.

If you have found the above useful you may well like Sue Kay's book on the subject.

  "No More Clutter"   

 Being organised will save you time and stress.   

How to create a clutter free home

A little organisation does you good - quick and easy ways to get organised.