Reducing Clutter in Your Office Can Increase Productivity

Maintaining a clutter-free office space is actually more important than you might think. There are actually many reasons to keep your office space not just clean, but clutter free.

Feng Shui Principles and Eliminating Clutter

Over the past several months, we have been covering different Feng Shui techniques and how they can improve your office environment in many ways. Feng Shui is an 8,000 year old ancient Chinese discipline that has some very practical uses in modern day offices like ours. In studying up on Feng Shui principles, when it comes to office and work spaces, one of the most important rules is to keep the office clutter-free;  we are not just talking about a clean office space, we really mean clutter-free. Offices can be clean, but still have clutter.

Benefits of a Clutter-Free Office Space

A cluttered office area also results in a cluttered mind that cannot think clearly or efficiently. Therefore, keeping your office free of clutter means that the employees can think better and it improves their memory. Studies have also shown that a clean and clutter-free office can reduce stress and sickness. Productivity and efficiency levels rise when employees are present every day scheduled and do not have to call in sick. There is also an overall greater satisfaction rate when offices are a comforting and relaxing place to be.

Here are 8 tips for reducing and eliminating clutter in your office space:

• Management should make clutter-free a policy and allow for or schedule time for reducing clutter and keep purchases that increase space saving and organisation in the budget.
• Implement space saving and organisation techniques.
• Allow for a few minutes at the end of each work day to clean up, empty trash bins, and organise desks and common areas.
• Digitise as many documents as possible, reducing the use of paper will help eliminate 90% of clutter in offices and is environmentally forward thinking as well.
• Choose office supplies that are dual purpose, as small as possible, and uniform throughout the offices. Different colour and shapes tend to add bulk and clutter.
• Keep office supplies in desk drawers rather than on top of them.
• Reduce the allowed amount of personal items to one or two. Hang pictures on walls rather than setting them on top of desks.
• Do not eat where you work. Not only does this raise stress levels because you need a little get away from work while you eat, but food items, cups, plastic utensils, and condiments often end up accruing around your desk area.
• Adopt the overall way of thinking that when it comes to things in and around the office “less is more”. This will help you achieve success with a clutter-free work space and increase the level of happiness of employees.