12 Out-of-the-Box Ideas for an Organized, Inspiring Workspace

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As a wellness expert with a design and decorating background, I have an affinity for that special place where aesthetics and productivity intersect. While most people focus on one aspect over the other, there’s a certain magic that happens when you have a clutter-free workspace optimized for productivity that’s also pleasing to the eye. 

Whether you work from home, in an office, or have a cubicle with your name on it, these 12 under-utilized ideas will help you create a workspace that fuels your productivity (and looks fabulous on your Instagram feed). 

For your Physical Workspace…

There’s a saying that goes, “As within, so without.” Your external world is a reflection of your inner reality. If you’re feeling scattered and disorganized, there’s a good chance your workspace looks the same. 

TIP #1: The less clutter there is, the more brainpower you have. Follow the steps below to create a physical space that’s calm, clear, and clutter-free, so that your mind can relax, too.

If you touch it, take care of it instead of wasting time moving piles of paper and scribbled notes back and forth across your desk all day, consider adopting this simple new rule: “If I touch it, I’m going to take care of it.” Taking the extra step to put it away the moment you go to move it will save you time in the long run that you can put toward productive work. (If you have a lot of stacks to sort, proceed to Step 2 and repeat this process daily until the stacks are gone).

The 10-minute rule—once a week, set a timer for 10 minutes and do a quick sweep of your workspace. Toss notes you no longer need, file away receipts, refill the stapler, and find a home for anything that doesn’t have one.

Use Clear Acrylic Desk Accessories—I’m a huge fan of this letter tray and this clear catch-all. The benefits of using clear acrylic? It works with just about any decor style, corrals the mess, and it’s see-through, so it acts as a subtle reminder of those pending things you need to finish so nothing gets forgotten. (If you fall in love with acrylic accessories as much as I do, make sure to check out the full Russel + Hazel line of storage solutions).

Let in the light there have been plenty of studies done on the positive effects of natural light in your workspace. Do whatever you can to bring that light in, whether it means flinging open the drapes or adding full-spectrum light bulbs that simulate natural daylight.

Go Au Naturale: Make sure you add in fresh flowers on your desk or an indoor plant in your office corner because natural light and plant life aren’t just pleasing to the eye, they’re also proven to elevate your mood, enhance your focus, and reduce stress and while improving work-life satisfaction. Besides, picking out fresh flowers and greenery at your local market just sparks joy (as the organization queen herself, Marie Kondo would say!)

For your Digital Workspace…

Too often we’re so focused on optimizing our physical workspaces for productivity and inspiration that we completely forget about the other workspace we use just about every minute of every day: your digital workspaces.

TIP #2 The same rule applies here, too: the less cluttered your workspace is, the more energy and focus you’ll experience. Here are five simple ways to reduce clutter in your most-accessed digital workspaces, so you can breathe easier every time you open your inbox. 

Your Desktop / LaptopStreamline your desktop by organizing like items into folders and clearly labeling those folders with what’s inside. Empty your recycle bin and clean up your downloads folder. Add a natural wallpaper background to bring nature and beauty into your space (Unsplash.com has some great free options).

Your Cloud Storage Spaces

Don’t forget about these! Whether you’re a Google Drive or iCloud person, make sure you follow the same process as in Step 1 above so that all files and documents are clearly labeled and easy for you (and anyone on your team who has access) to find.

Your Email inbox—Just like the “If I touch it, I’m taking care of it” rule for your physical workspace, the same rule applies to your email inbox: “If I open it, I’m replying to it.” Set a timer for 10 minutes periodically throughout the day to respond to incoming messages, then move the threads into relevant folders where they can be accessed for future reference. Use an app like Unroll.me to instantly see a list of all your subscription emails, and easily unsubscribe from whatever you don’t want. Or, to really take back control of your inbox, take it one step further and add an extension like Boomerang that lets you pause your incoming messages and have them delivered at a set time each day, so you can stay out of your inbox and focus on your most important work.

Your Phone Apps—Organize apps into folders by type (i.e., “Health,” “Work,” “Photos,” “Social,” etc.) Move everything to a secondary screen (yes, everything), and add a similar nature background to your home and lock screens so that when you open and unlock your phone, you’re not instantly distracted by notifications or tempted to hop on Instagram. Taking the extra step to move all of your folders and apps to a secondary screen allows you to control when to scroll to that screen and use those apps… or not.

Tame Your Notifications—Speaking of notifications, go to your phone Settings and turn as many of them off as possible, and opt only for the notification icon (rather than banner and lock screen) for things you deem most important, like email for example. This will further eliminate distractions and allow you to get back to whatever else you deem more important than the latest blood-boiling political headlines or social media alerts about what your friend just ate for breakfast.

Streamline Your Calendar—If you’re a traditionalist like me, a good old-fashioned desk calendar like this one is all you need to keep yourself organized. Remember to write everything in pencil, so that as plans change you can adjust your calendar accordingly. If you’re more of the digital type, try an online scheduling app like Bookafy to manage all of your appointments. It integrates seamlessly with a number of digital calendar systems (like Google Calendar), automatically sends meeting reminders on your behalf, and you can add multiple users from your team so everyone’s calendar is synced in one spot — no more double-booking!

Use Airplane Mode, Especially When You’re Not Flying—Every phone has this feature, but few people utilize it as they should! It’s not just for plane trips -- if you’re not to the point where you can keep your phone out of the room altogether while focusing on your most creative work (or if you’re afraid you’ll miss a call), you can use Airplane Mode so that you’re not distracted by pings and dings. Calls will still come through when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, so you won’t miss anything important. 

When it comes to workspace organization, remember: less is more. You don’t have to implement all of these ideas at once. Pick your favorite and just get started. If you’re a naturally organized person, you might find some of these tips easier to implement than others. If you like to “do it messy,” then you might find that implementing one of these tips at a time and testing what works best for you is more useful. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. 

Above all, the best way to create a new habit and experience different results is to change the way you are approaching your life at an identity level. In other words, the best way to become more organized is not to implement a hundred tips, but rather to simply believe you are an organized person. This might sound a little weird at first, but if you’ve been telling yourself you’re not an organized person, then the clutter and disorganization you experience in your life is simply a reflection of that. “As within, so without.” Imagine what would change for you if you simply began saying to yourself, “I’m the type of person who is good at organizing things.” Or, “I’m the type of person who stays organized.” Imagine what results in you might start noticing in your life, then. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll simply be more organized.