An organized desk is an invitation to do your most productive work. Clutter is a stressor. Shuffling piles of paper to find the stapler or digging through a box of paper clips to reach the thumbtacks is a frustrating time waster. Apply desk organization strategies to create an orderly workstation.

1. Use Wall Space

Take advantage of the wall above the desk or around a cubicle. Hang organizers on the wall to add functional desk space. Tack a to-do list on a corkboard. A wall organizer may hold mason jars, into which you can toss miscellaneous supplies, like paper clips and pens.

Buying new storage compartments is unnecessary when you can create your own hanging storage bins. Upcycle empty disinfectant containers by hanging them on knobs attached to a strip of wood. Unhang the filled bins from the wall to use elsewhere, if needed.

A pegboard backdrop can be efficiently used. While hanging décor gives your desk space unique personality, also mix in wire baskets, shelves and cup holders for maximum organization of supplies. Sitting neatly above the desk or along the cubicle wall, the pegboard is within easy reach.

Wall space is also shelf space. So any extra space behind your computer can easily be used for little office decorations, artwork, or plants that can't be mounted on the wall. Simply hammer in the brackets, place the shelf on top and you're good to go!

2. Create an Organization Station

It's important to have enough space on your desk for your laptop, mouse, monitor and keyboard. Again, use the wall space to incorporate additional productivity, adding a cork board with a to do list, calendar with mason jars right next to it to use as pen and marker holders.

3. Color Coordinate Your Supplies

This may not apply to everyone's work space, but for those who love to sew, knit or crochet for instance, materials can be easily color coordinated for easy find. Simply arrange them by color in a drawer or basket where they can be easily found and used for convenience. They will also make your working space much more colorful!

4. Mix in Supplies with Decorations

Whoever said you couldn't mix productivity with decorations? So you can have your pictures, plants and lights mixed in with your pens, clock and books. This is also another modern look of many office spaces and cubicles today. Organized office supplies can also be used as decoration!

5. Write on Chalkboard Tape

Avid notetakers will find chalkboard tape extremely useful. Chalkboard tape is a removable, peel and stick tape that can be cut into any sized shapes. Users can write on its chalkboard surface with a dry erase marker and wipe away once new ideas need to be jotted down.

6. Add Storage Under the Desk

The area under the desk can serve a number of storage needs. Tuck a storage caddy beneath the desk, along its legs, for added storage space. Add a small bookshelf or storage cabinet if space permits. Every inch counts when it comes to maximizing office space!

7. Create a Pegboard Bookshelf

Using a simple elastic band, tie the ends to the edges of a pegboard. Place magazines and books within the elastic bands for easy viewability and reach. A pegboard bookshelf is a great alternative to a traditional, heavy bookshelf. Plus, being flat, it hardly takes up valuable office space.

8. Keep All Accessories to One Side

Depending on the size and set up of your working space, you may not have that much room for accessories. But the first priority should always be having enough room for your supplies, like your computer, keyboard, and maybe some pens and a lamp. But keeping your accessories to one side instead of having them strewn in front of you might be a better idea. you'll have to play around with the setup.

9. Utilize DIY Organizers

Make it personal with DIY organizers, where you can fit all your supplies into little compartments of a standing organizer on your desks. These work especially if you prefer not to use mason jars or shelves, but have a lot of standing desk items.

10. Install Your Own Keyboard Tray

Many desks may not already come with one, but you can definitely install your own keyboard tray if there's room under your desk. That way you'll have more room to put down some paperwork as you work. Also consider putting the mouse and mouse pad down there if they fit.

11. Establish and Follow a "One In, One Out Rule"

Again, for those with less space, such as apartment-dwellers, less is more. So if you see something online that you just got to have, follow a one in, one out rule and figure out what you will be replacing it with before you hit that "buy" button. Even if you decide there's nothing you want to remove, you'll be saving yourself money by not adding another item to your desk space.

12. Use Drawer Dividers

On the other hand, if you have a larger desk with drawers, you've got some extra space for office supplies. But little things like paper clips, staples, pens, highlighters and business cards can all wind up in a giant mess and clutter up the drawer space. But simply adding a few drawer dividers to hold the little things in place can make everything a whole lot easier, especially when you're searching for what you need.

13. Declutter Cords

Electrical cords are a necessity, but the resulting mess is not. Position a cable box near the desk to keep the tangle of cords out of view, while allowing them to serve their purpose. Binder clips can also be used to keep the cords organized and out of sight.

Another trick to organize each of the monitor, light, telephone and miscellaneous cords is to label each of them with different colored tape. Write “phone,” “computer,” or “lamp” on each piece of tape and adhere. This clever hack will help distinguish your electrical cords from those of a colleague.

14. Roll in a Rolling Cart

Position a rolling cart next to your desk for additional storage space. Fill the rolling cart with jars or bottles, into which may be placed supplies, like pens, markers or paper clips. When your work takes you to an adjacent office, simply roll the portable cart to its next destination.

15. Mount a Coat Rack

An alternate use for a coat rack is to hang technology, like headphones, cables and cords. Mount the coat rack on the wall above the desk for easy reach. Add intrigue to a drab workspace by choosing a trendy coat rack featuring a colorful, contemporary design.

16. Try Kitchen Organizers

Rather than stick to conventional office organization bins, venture into using bathroom and kitchen organizers at your office desk. Storage bins cheaply purchased from retail stores’ kitchen and bathroom aisles can lend cost-effective convenience and practicality to the office realm.

Silicone cupcake liners, for instance, can be used to hold small office supplies, like paper clips and push pins. Colorful and eye-catching, silicone cupcake liners add a burst of color to the desk environment, while keeping the office supplies tastefully organized.

Likewise, recycle coffee pods for use as office desk organizers. The little plastic cups hold a variety of small supplies, from staples to safety pins. Diminutive in size, the cleaned K-cups can be placed throughout the desk to keep a range of office supplies at your fingertips.

17. Attach Clamp-on Lights

Extra lighting is a must-have in the office. But floor and desk lamps take up valuable real estate. Instead, opt to clamp lights to the edge of the desk. The clamping feature will take up less space, while providing sufficient lighting—so that you can get your best work done.

A well-organized office desk has been known to reduce stress levels in personnel. The presence of clutter overwhelms the brain, triggering a stress response. Desk organization tends to diminish this stress and gives office employees a feeling of being in control.

Plus, efficiency noticeably increases in staff who work at organized office desks. These personnel simply do not waste energy searching for supplies or paperwork amidst unnecessary clutter. An organized workstation also gives a positive impression to higher-ups and other colleagues.

Office Renovation Assistance

Setting up a desk space so that it is organized is easily done right after an office renovation. Employees have a clean slate with which to work. But office managers will need help to shift office furniture in preparation for a renovation—which is where Chicago Office Movers comes in.

Chicago Office Movers crews are experienced and dedicated to making an office renovation or remodel happen seamlessly. We pack and label boxes, disassemble all types of furniture and move large equipment to a storage area so that the remodeling can take place.

Once the remodeling is complete, our office movers will assemble new furniture or appliances and help with installation. We take care of the heavy lifting, so that your employees can take care of organizing their new space. Unpacking small items is also a responsibility we undertake.

When you are planning an office renovation or remodel, consult Chicago Office Movers. Given the current coronavirus health crisis, we take all precautionary measures to protect our customers and crews.

Contact Us

Call our friendly representatives at 312-244-2246 for a free estimate to get started.

Having a cluttered working space can significantly impact productivity and stress levels. When everything is scattered in piles, nothing is prioritized, and you feel pressured to get everything done at once, it can be hard to get anything done.

Add moving into the mixture and things get much more complicated. Finding a moving company, packing, coordinating with employees, and notifying contacts of the address change are only a few steps in the moving process. BUT there are some ways to make this process a little less stressful and a big part of that is decluttering. While it can take some time to sift through everything in your working space, doing this will not only save a lot of time and money during the moving process, but help you to be more efficient and productive in the long run.

Check out these 10 tips for decluttering your office before moving:

1. Start with Nothing

One of the most common ways people declutter is starting with their cluttered space and removing things. But this doesn’t often work because you still end up with a lot of stuff.

Instead, try clearing everything from your space and then adding items you need a little at a time. This means clearing out the top of your desk and drawers, putting them in a box, and start working. When you need something, grab it from the box, and give it a home on your desk. After a few days, you will find what you really need vs. what is “nice to have,” making it easy to get rid of the unnecessary items.

2. Consider What You Really Need

If you feel a little uncomfortable about starting from scratch, you can also think about what you really need at your desk and what can be donated or thrown away. Did you know that we clutter because we think everything is important. When going through your belongings, think “Do I really need this item? Is it still usable? Am I keeping because I really need it or I might need it?”

One way to think about it is if you don’t remember that it was there, you probably don’t need it. But after answering the questions above, you should have a good idea of what to do with the items – even if you don’t like the real answer.

3. Organize by Priority

After figuring out which items to keep and get rid of, next is deciding where to put the items you do want. This is important since you will want quick and easy access for the items you use the most. If your desk has drawers, organize them in the order of importance, starting with the closest drawer and working your way down.

If you use a lot of paper, use the left-to-right method. When work comes in, keep it on the left, moving it toward the middle as you work on it, and shift it to the right once it’s completed. This way, you and others will easily know what is done and what you have to do for the day. It will also be clear for the tasks to be completed next.

It’s normal for clutter to start building again after decluttering, but just remember to keep up with the flow of paperwork and not to let that or other items pile up in your working space again.

4. Attack the Hoard of Cables

Especially if you have a complex server, multiple computers, not to mention charging cables, this can quickly turn into a chaotic mess. But there are some simple tricks to tame the hoard. It may sound strange, but attach rain gutters to the bottom of the desk to keep them off the surface. You can also look into cable boxes for an efficient way to hide everything.

5. Identify the Most Cluttered Spots

If you look at your working space at a distance, you may not find the cluttered spots. But you might be surprised that if you took a picture, you might find them easily. Take a few pictures with your phone and try it out.

6. Expand Your Working Space

If you really have a lot of important stuff, you may want to consider enlarging your work space (or invest in extra storage space). But in terms of enlarging the space, there are a few cost-effective ways to do it rather than buying a brand new desk.

If you have a small office space, think vertically instead of horizontally. Some ways include raising your monitor and mounting shelves to the wall, making use of every inch at your desk. As long as everything stays organized, this is a good solution for items that just cannot be thrown out.

7. Use Hidden Areas

If you don’t care to use traditional shelving, you may want to use pegboards for hiding cables, routers, and other equipment behind your desk.

You can also hide things on the back of your monitor or use clips and magnets to mount papers and supplies to the wall. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish.

8. Designate a Spot for Everything

Everything you need on your desk should have a home in which it fits neatly next to everything else. If they don’t, then the whole desk becomes a home for everything.

If you’re having a difficult time organizing, you can use the breadbox test to make things easier: if it’s smaller than a breadbox, put it away in a canister or drawer.

9. Clean Off Your Desk Every Evening

Regardless of how clean you keep your workspace, it’s normal for it to get messy throughout the day. This is okay because you’re working and being productive. But when things are not cleaned up regularly, the working space will become messy over time.

To prevent this from happening, clean off the desk at the end of the day everyday. Taking 5 – 10 minutes each day to straighten things up is a lot easier than tackling large messes every few months. You will even feel more motivated to come into work every day knowing you have a clean desk.

10. Don’t Overdo It

While everyone needs a clean, organized working space, you can overdo it. Becoming obsessive with maintaining a clean working space can result in wasted time that could have been spent working. A good rule of thumb is to think that if something wasn’t wasting your time in the first place, there’s no need to organize.

Recognize when it looks “good enough” and when it’s time to stop worrying about decluttering and get back to work. Keeping your working space spotless can, in fact, make an impact on your productivity. You may even forget why you started organizing in the first place: to be more productive and efficient at work.

Decluttering Before Moving

Moving is a great time to declutter since there will be less items to move after you’re done. While it does take extra time to go through and organize your belongings, it will be well worth the investment instead of spending extra time to move junk you don’t really need.

Need Extra Help?

If you’re running particularly short on time before moving, Chicago Office Movers offer professional decluttering services as an add on service to the move. As a full service moving company, we can also handle a number of other tasks to help you save time, including decommissioning, shredding, furniture assembly, move management, and more.

Moving everything from warehouses to libraries, you can count on us to move your business safely and efficiently. Our professionals are trained, insured, background-checked, and experienced to pack, move, assemble furniture, and provide any other service for which you might need.

Free Estimate

For more information, or to request a free estimate, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246.