Are you looking for reasons to declutter an office or workspace? We look at how your workplace can benefit from removing clutter today.
Why should we declutter our workspaces
It is important that we speak about clutter, especially in the workplace, and what exactly should be done with it all. Large stacks of paper on a desk, binders ready to burst because they're so overflowing with documentation and heaps of unwashed mugs in the sink.
All this may seem harmless at first, but in all likelihood, this mess is bringing down your team's productivity and general mood.
Tackling all the chaos of clutter in the workspace is more than just the latest lifestyle trend; there is a lot more to it than that.
According to studies that were done by the National Association of Professional Organisers, also known as NAPO, levels of disorganisation caused by employees can lead to financial losses, which are equivalent to ten percent of a manager's salary.
That's a lot of unnecessarily lost money. So why exactly do mess and clutter have such a large impact on the levels of performance and productivity held in the workplace?
If we are discussing the most basic level of this, a workplace that is disorderly will cost you a lot of time.
If employees need to spend ten minutes rifling through hundreds of pieces of paper before they can actually find the one document that they are looking for, then they are very simply wasting a lot of time and energy that could be utilised for completing another piece of work. It only gets worse from here, unfortunately.
A workspace that is very busy will only lead to an increase in the likelihood that sensitive and important documents will just get completely lost altogether. This is especially true for workers who are currently operating from their own homes.
When pieces of paper are simply lying around on a desk, then they can very easily go missing. They can be accidentally thrown away, scooped up with other waste, or defaced by an unaware child.
Clutter and mess go even beyond those simple factors, though. Over the years, there have been various studies that have proved that mess can have a hugely negative effect on a person's mental performance and well-being. One example of this would be having too many individual objects in a person's eye line or field of vision.
You have probably experienced this and know that it makes it very hard to focus. The human eye is drawn to all kinds of different stimuli, and this takes your brain's attention away from the job you should be completing and drains away valuable cognitive resources.
Interestingly enough, some studies have shown that when there is an increase in background clutter, it can even make it difficult for an individual to properly interpret and understand the facial expressions and emotions of people in TV shows or films.
As time moves on, working and living surrounded by clutter can increase a person's general stress and anxiety. It can stop a person from having a high quality of sleep and just generally reduce a person's ability to perform at their best in all aspects of their life.
Research has shown that people who begin to feel overwhelmed when in a cluttered environment or messy surroundings are much more likely to start procrastinating and developing types of avoidance behaviours such as using social media or watching TV while they are working.
These are problems that can only become worse if an employee needs to start working from home and they do not have the pressure of being seen by their managers or their co-workers.
Other experts have claimed that when people are living and working in messy environments, then they can begin to develop kinds of unhealthy eating habits. Of course, this will too impact a person's day-to-day cognitive abilities in the workplace.
A messy desk or working area can also affect how other workers perceive an individual's work ability. Studies have shown that the majority of office workers in America admitted to judging their co-workers on how clean or dirty they kept their workspace.
Benefits of Decluttering Your Workspace
Improved Comfort
If you have a messy desk, then the chances are that at some point, you have tried to put an important file or document down on your desk, but you are unable because you can't find a space anywhere.
It can feel like your workspace is just shrinking and getting more claustrophobic around you.
This is one of the major reasons why it is important to keep your workspace tidy; it will overall give you an improved sense of comfort while you are working.
Spaces that are more open and more comfortable will usually lead to higher productivity from workers. Imagine how difficult it can be to complete a task when you are physically uncomfortable, such as having an itchy area of your body; this is exactly the same.
Improved Impressions
If a manager is constantly seeing your workspace covered in mess and clutter, then it is likely that they will not be looking at you very favourably.
It can look to bosses and managers that you don't care about your job very much and cannot be bothered even to do some simple tidying up. For employees who are sales representatives, then your sales manager may start to worry about the impression that your desk might give to potential customers, clients, and other businesses with whom you are attempting to build a relationship.
Prevent Procrastination
One of the main reasons why people put off and then put off again the organisation of their messy working area is because they are procrastinators and don't want to put in the minimal effort of doing the cleaning work.
When procrastinators see a task that is overwhelming, they just push it off, so they don't have to think about it. Unless a manager or boss tells you that your desk is required to be clean, it might never get done at all. Learning how to avoid procrastination without just being told what to do is very important for the workplace.
Exposure To Illness
If it has been a while since your desk has been professionally cleaned, then there may be all kinds of germs lying on the surface.
These germs can come from you, from food, from an ill co-worker who stopped by your desk, and more. If you are beginning to notice that you are not feeling well a lot of the time, then it can be easy to blame the others in your office.
However, the culprit might actually be much closer than you think. It is likely to be your desk that is the one that is causing your immune system to become weak.
It is recommended that you clear up any clutter that has been sitting on your desk for a while, as well as give the desk a good wipe-down with some disinfectant. This should help to minimise your exposure to kinds of illnesses.
If you require office waste removal services in Royston, Cambridge or Hertfordshire, contact us today. We can discuss what you would like to be collected and your preferred due date.
We'll get back to you with a free no-obligation quote that matches your budget.