How To Set Up Your Home Office To Maximize Efficiency And Organization
Written by Danica Carson, Co-Owner and Creator of Hack Decks™
Danica Carson, creator of Hack Decks™, specializes in creating simple and effective ways to help others live their lives with less stress and more enjoyment. Focusing on pain points such as getting organized, becoming a mother, going off to college, coming up with fresh ways to connect, Hack Decks™ provides a shortcut to a happier, easier life.
Our owners believe in creating functional spaces that reduce clutter, stress, and visual overload. With an innate talent for home life organization, we have achieved Marie Kondo’s KonMari® Certified Master Organizer status, a rare distinction in the home organization business. The Uncluttered Life, Inc. is one of very few with this certification that requires a minimum of 1500 hours of home organization work with clients. We have many more hours than this organizing people’s homes and helping them set up functional and easy systems for home management.
We can teach you home organization skills.
Living an organized life allows people to focus on what matters – and we can teach this skill to you. In addition to our professional organizing service, we recently launched Declutter Deck® prompt cards. These easy-to-use decluttering cards, called Declutter Deck®, help transform your life from chaos and clutter to organized and carefree. Guiding you by area and category, Declutter Deck® is 52 self-paced prompt cards that teach you how and what to organize and declutter. The declutter portion of our cards encourages you to reduce what you own by at least twenty percent. The remaining organization cards help you tackle the rest. Prompts and projects take less than one hour at a time to complete.
Address each space for maximum organization.
Declutter Deck® prompt cards show you the best way to organize each space and maintain what you have already organized. Declutter Deck® combines tips from the KonMari Method® with other tried and true, time-tested effective methods to achieve total home organization. Some Declutter Deck® organization instructions include prompts for decluttering the pantry and kitchen. Others show you how to keep your closet from returning to chaos. Still, others explain how to create a home office that works for you rather than against you. We also offer Decorganizing® tips, combining decor items with organization products that simultaneously make your space beautiful and functional. Decorganization® is a great way to organize and improve the look and feel of your home.
So, let’s move on to home office organization.
A home office is command central. This is because not only does work take place in a home office, as does bill paying, filling out forms for kids and school, and keeping track of spending for taxes. It’s a catch-all location that needs to be organized and clutter-free. That is much easier said than done. For this reason, we have suggestions for getting this system and space right so that more can be done in less time. Most importantly, it ensures that things don’t get lost in the process.
The Konmari method® approach to paper.
Since we are Certified Masters in the KonMari Method®, we believe in giving you a broad overview of this system as it pertains to paper. There is an incorrect assumption or myth about Marie Kondo’s approach to decluttering, including paper. People, or clients, think they need to discard everything to live a clutter-free life. This is not true. For this reason, we give you the basics of the KonMari system, and then follow up with our advice.
The Konmari method® of paper decluttering.
If you ever find yourself staring helplessly at stacks of files, paperwork, bills, and magazines, you’re not alone. Marie Kondo often says that when she helps clients address their paper clutter, the minimum amount of paper they discard fills two 45-liter bags. We have been in client’s homes where they have shoved paperwork into boxes, not to open them again for years. In those boxes, we have found unpaid bills, uncashed checks, important documents, passports, the list is endless. For this reason, it is very important to keep paperwork organized so as not to be delinquent on bill paying, or unable to find things when you need them. Keeping too much can be just as problematic as not keeping enough.
Tips for organizing all those files and paperwork the KonMari way.
Set aside sentimental paper goods
The KonMari Method® suggests tackling sentimental items last for a good reason: they’re the hardest to let go. If you have paper goods such as love letters or children’s cards in your stack, set them aside for now. Instead, focus only on the paper goods that creep into the home regularly. This includes form letters, coupons, bills, insurance statements, pay stubs, magazines, etc. Revisit sentimental items later after you’ve finished all the other categories. This is when you’ll feel most inspired and empowered.
Discard paper first
Marie Kondo’s basic principle for sorting papers is elimination. This advice often surprises KonMari clients, but she finds that most people hold onto too many papers. Many are not necessary or useful. Usually, people are afraid they “might” need them someday. To start discarding, use Marie’s rule of three and dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories. These categories are “currently in use,” “needed for a limited period,” or “keep indefinitely.”
Organize files and paperwork in just two categories
Once you’ve discarded most of the stored paperwork, it is time to divide and file the remaining items. The KonMari Method® recommends dividing these papers into two main categories: “papers to be saved” and “papers to address.” For papers to be saved, you may also want to split documents into two subcategories: “frequently used” and “infrequently used” (insurance paperwork, car or home leases, etc.).
Give your paperwork a designated home
You’ll want to file and store your paperwork in one place only. At The Uncluttered Life, Inc. we often recommend a vertical organizer for storing papers within easy reach and a letter tray for paper goods that “need attention,” such as bills or other letters that need a response. It can help to dedicate a few minutes daily, or even a particular day of the week, to tackling your paper clutter! These simple steps get you on your way to tidying up and organizing your files, paperwork, bills and letters.
What is the doom pile? Use the techniques above to address it once and for all
You may have recently learned about doom piles (aka doom boxes or bags), but the concept has been around for a long time. Creating a doom pile helps reduce visual clutter but doesn't solve the problem. That is because, when using this technique, you have a huge pile of paper you must sift through in the future.
A doom pile is a bunch of random stuff cluttering your space. You put it into a single spot that grows over time. In a home office, doom piles typically manifest as paper piles. While you might think "doom" refers to "a sense of impending doom," the phrase "doom pile” is an acronym for "Didn't Organize, Only Moved." In other words, they are paper piles that need to be decluttered and addressed, though if that pile is full of bills, it may also feel like impending doom.
Paying bills or working through paperwork isn’t fun for anyone. But if you follow the tips listed above, you can find ways to make it as easy as possible to complete your to-do list and sort through your paperwork.
Piles often accumulate because we’re avoiding a larger task, like mail or paperwork with an actionable task. Sort things into easier-to-manage groups like “currently in use,” “needed for a limited period” or “keep indefinitely.” Add labels to keep track of your system. Then, try to tackle each group each day or on a designed day once a week.
Now let’s turn to ergonomics and the effect of poor ergonomics in the office.
Ergonomics are equally important to creating a good working space. This pertains to either your home office or office at work. For example, if you keep adjusting your workspace to suit you, you might not have enough energy left for your work. This causes more mistakes and increases the time it takes to finish tasks. When you feel uncomfortable due to improper posture or ill-fitting equipment, fatigue sets in and you lose concentration. This leads to mistakes, including typos in emails and overlooking critical details you would not have otherwise not made.
A well-designed workspace, including proper desk and chair height, reduces fatigue and strain, helping to maintain mental sharpness and focus throughout the workday. People who work in ergonomically-friend environments focus better on what they’re doing without being distracted by discomfort. Reduced discomfort translates to fewer distractions, leading to more accurate decision-making and fewer errors. It also saves you time.
Work with a happier mood
You might think that the nature of your job is the only reason you feel anxious and stressed throughout the workday. This is whether you’re working from home or in an office. While your job responsibilities take their toll, they are not the only thing impacting your mental health. Work settings and poor ergonomics also play a pivotal role in hampering your mental health.
Sitting in a rigid chair or working in an awkward posture for long hours can drain energy levels, leaving you agitated and edgy. For this reason, good ergonomics in the office helps increase productivity by keeping you mentally sharp.
Standing desks – Sit less
For instance, standing desks help you overcome the adverse consequences of sitting for prolonged durations. The muscles of your lower extremities remain more engaged and do not get tired easily. You’ll feel fresher and more active and thus work with more enthusiasm and energy.
In addition, stress and pressure on the spine can lead to headaches and migraines. Constant headaches and migraines keep you from working at your capacity and meeting deadlines. However, ergonomic chairs let you work easily and help you deliver your tasks on time. Ergonomic chairs support your back and prevent neck, lower back, and shoulder pain. Over time, this strain can become a chronic problem.
Creating an ergonomic workspace
Everyone is built differently, and the standard office system isn’t the “right fit” for some people. Setting up an ergonomic workstation tailored to you improves the comfort, safety, and quality of your work.
How you can create an ergonomic workspace?
Start with the chair
Choose an adjustable chair to maximize your comfort and well-being. Look for features like lumbar support, customizable seat height and depth, and adjustable backrest and armrest heights. The benefits of ergonomic chairs will help you maintain the natural “S” curve of the spine.
Adjust the chair height so that your knees bend at a 90-degree angle with feet flat, resting on the floor or a footrest. In addition, keep a gap of 2-4 fingers between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees. If your feet don’t touch the ground, consider a footrest that will create a 90-degree angle.
Place keyboard and mouse correctly
The keyboard should be positioned at elbow height, with wrists kept straight while typing. This will keep your shoulders relaxed. Look for an adjustable keyboard holder for ideal positioning. Similarly, the mouse should be within easy reach. Purchase a mouse that fits your hand comfortably.
Adjust the monitor height
Place the monitor at an arm’s distance, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. This prevents neck strain from constantly looking up or down. Consider ergonomic monitor stands or adjustable arms for optimal placement.
Take breaks
Sitting for extended periods can be detrimental, and in today’s era, “sitting is the new smoking“. Consider a standing desk that lets you switch between standing and sitting throughout the workday. Additionally, take frequent micro-breaks of 5-10 minutes to stretch and move around. Getting up and walking increases your focus when you return to your desk.
Lighten up
To minimize eye strain, ensure adequate lighting and reduce glare on your computer screen. Adjust overhead lights as needed. Natural light is ideal, but if this is not possible, include an adjustable desk lamp on your work desk.
By implementing these tips, you can reduce stress on your body, safeguard your muscles and joints, and naturally incorporate movement throughout your workday. These improvements in the office help increase productivity.
Closing thoughts about workspaces
I work a lot from home and spend a good portion of my day sitting at my desk. My prior desk was not a good fit and made me uncomfortable. I dreaded sitting at my desk because my ergonomics were not correct. When I purchased a new desk for my office and upgraded my chair, my productivity changed. I no longer felt the strain in my back and stopped looking for other places to sit to do my work. Adjusting these two things was a game-changer. Even though I loved that desk, it just wasn’t right for me.
I also find that the surface of a desk is important. Does the surface have bumps that make writing difficult? Does it have a smooth finish so that you can keep your hands steady throughout the day? These are important questions as a good desk and chair make all the difference. Equally important is to have a clear space from which to work, with technology such as a scanner nearby. When everything is within reach, it reduces the amount of wasted time during the day. It also helps you think straight.
At the end of each workday, I clear off my space so that when I return the next morning, I don’t immediately feel overwhelmed and overloaded. This is something I’ve been practicing for years. I see what I need to address, work through my to-do pile, and complete my tasks on time. The mental clean slate is just as important as the physical clean slate, or desk.
Though some of these tips and tricks sound obvious, many fail to incorporate them into their workspace. This ultimately leads to reduced productivity, inefficiency, discomfort, and stress. Addressing these issues will lead to a huge improvement in your quality of life as well as your quality of work.