Gaileen Sutton

Lots of individuals will attest that they can only function in an environment which is filled with clutter, where desks are untidy and just plain dirty. Well they are not doing themselves any service because researchers say, that having too much stuff surrounding us, will not make us more productive, in fact it is a mechanism for us to procrastinate rather than produce. The benefits of having a clean and tidy office or working environment can therefore be directly related to productivity at the office.

Granted it might look clinical and cold, but this should not be confused with a clutter-filled home. Here you can really go to town and fill up your spaces with accessories and memorabilia as if there is no tomorrow.

The brain needs a tidy and neat environment to process the tasks set out for the day. You cannot let accessories or over the top photos of people distract you. And that is why they say you should look at someones desk to tell if that person is organized in life as well. Working with the public you could show your professional side by tidying up your desk for a start.

A messy work environment does nothing for ones stress levels. The calm and tranquil space you so desperately need is not forthcoming, so you cannot relax. The brain interprets mess and clutter as an extension to the body and this in itself can make you sick. What you need is a place which is soft on the eye. Colors should also be more pastel in tone and furniture could also be of a more lighter wood.

A typical clean and tidy desk will not have empty coffee mugs, food, attache cases or handbags covering up your space. Your pen, pencils, paper clips, erasers and sellotape should be packed away in a drawer and only the pen or pencil you are writing with should be on the desk.

Why have an uncluttered desk? Well it is to help you produce your work better and faster. Your goal is to focus on your job and not on the things that surround you. If you need something personal, then place a photo on the wall or on a corner of your desk only. Place a rug at your feet with maybe a small plant for you to look at now and again. Your desk should only have your computer, telephone, filing baskets or trays and the work you are doing at that movement in front of you.

If you understand the benefits of having a clean and tidy office or working environment, or if you are an employer, your staff will take their work more seriously and can de-stress while doing their job. So make it a fun activity for everyone, and create a clean up day at the office. Introduce an incentive or two for those who work hard at keeping theirs neat and tidy.

We live in north London and use window cleaners in our area to clean our windows for us. They make our windows crystal clean and we never have any regrets about them..