Keeping an organized office is one of the simplest things you can do to increase your productivity, happiness, and efficiency at work. Although keeping your office clean can seem difficult, you can use these 8 tips to make the job easier.

1. Go paperless. Whenever possible, you should try and reduce the amount of clutter flowing into and out of your space by transitioning to online information storage. Create folders, labels, and paths for your information to be kept online. The key with this is making sure you save your files in a place that can be easily accessed and found.
2. Invest in a labeler. The documents that you cannot afford to store online should be put away in a distinct drawer, file, or closet that is neatly labeled.
3. Purge your office. Go through your entire space and get rid of things that you haven’t used in a while. It can be difficult to part with some things, but your office will never be organized unless you reduce the amount of items that are inside it.
4. Don’t wait on sorting your mail. One of the most common culprits for a disorganized office is the build up of mail. The solution to this problem is to start a habit of sorting your mail as soon as you get it so it does not build up. Throw it out, delegate it, or read and file it.
5. Organize your desk drawers. Use dividers and separators for different items that you keep in your desk so you always know where to find what you need.
6. Reduce the view of your cables. We know that cables are a necessary part of the electronics in your office, but there are several easy and cheap ways to hide them and get them out of site. You can attach a rain gutter to the bottom of your desk to keep the majority out of view, or buy equipment designed for managing cables. Personally, I believe this one makes SUCH a big difference.
7. Use your wall space. Moving select items from your desk to the wall can really free up your workspace. Mounting your computer screen, calendars, or pictures is a great way to add room to your desk. This is especially effective if you have a small desk.
8. Have a mini cleaning session at the end of the day. Never leave your office in a mess. It’s a lot easier to clean up for five minutes at the end of the day than it is to let your mess build up and have to conduct a major clean up session.

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen