Cool Ideas to Reorganize Your Home Office

Whether you’ve been working remotely for years or have just found yourself having to telecommute due to recent circumstances, having a dedicated workspace in your home is essential for increased productivity.

When you first set out to organize your home office, you should definitely be starting with your desk. It’s an area that is within eyeshot while you work, and a messy desk can easily distract you.

The best way to maintain a clean desk and a clear mind is to stock up on cute and functional desk accessories. Not only should they be visually appealing, but they should also serve a practical purpose.

Some visually-appealing items that you can keep on your desk to keep things organized include:

• A pen holder to keep all of your favorite writing tools in easy reach
• A hanging folder frame to keep all of the files you use in one place
• A trinket tray to be used as a catch-all for smaller, highly used office supplies

Additionally, if you use a desktop computer, consider adding a pull-out keyboard tray to your desk to clear up even more space.

Make your home office work as hard as you do by optimizing every inch of space that is available to you. That means even using your vertical wall space. To do this, use stacked office cabinets to transform your workspace into a highly productive area, where every item has a home.

Use sturdy wicker baskets to hold items that you don’t use every day. You can label each basket so you know exactly where every item is. Not only does it look stylish, but it also safely stores all of your items.

If you don’t want to go the cubby route, consider using file drawers or full extension drawers instead. These organizational tools can be built up and around your desk to make the most of every nook and cranny.

Yes, you probably use your laptop, tablet, and phone to set daily and weekly reminders for appointments, deadlines, and more. But there is something to be said for organizing your schedule on a good old fashion printed calendar. From there, you can decide what type of calendar you would like to use, whether that be a traditional paper calendar, a desktop planner, or one in the form of a dry erase board.

Dry erase calendars bring the added benefit of usability, because you can use them over and over again. Moreover, you don’t have to keep buying a calendar or planner every year because you can just erase the previous year on your dry erase board and start fresh. Hang your dry erase board on the wall above your desk to easily see what your schedule holds.

Another great type of calendar is an undated weekly planner. Since it’s undated, you can use it as little or as much as you’d like.  If you’re having an extremely hectic week that’s full of deadlines and meetings, use the planner to keep abreast of every appointment. If the next week is empty, simply don’t fill out those pages.

It’s tough to have an organized space when it’s full of paper everywhere. To get your documents in order, go through every piece of paper in your home office. Use the System of Three:

• Shred or toss: Throw out or shred the that papers you don’t need
• File: Sort and file the ones that you do need in a color-coded system
• Take action from it: Send a follow-up email to your colleague or respond to that networking RSVP

An organized filing system will make your life so much easier. To make your files more functional, separate them into color-coded category folders, and label each of the folders accordingly. To do this, simply choose different colored folders for different types of documents.

For example, you can use the following system:

• Use red folders for deadlines or projects you must address immediately
• Use green colored folders for your invoices and business finances
• Keep files for ongoing projects in blue folders

Yes, you can definitely have your cake and eat it too when you mix décor and organization together. Place a decorative object, such as a cherished photo in a gorgeous frame or a fresh bouquet of flowers in an elegant vase, on your desk. Invest in folders with beautiful patterns and colors.

Purchase office supplies that are visually appealing, such as an acrylic stapler or gold-handled scissors. Not only will these items make your home office look more appealing, but they will help relax and inspire you.

Keeping track of both incoming and outgoing mail can be tricky, especially if you run a business out of your home office. Why not create a mail station in your workspace to track what’s coming in and what’s going out? Make a folder for outgoing mail, incoming mail, mail to file, and bills. As soon as you get the daily mail, file it in your mail station. Then, take some time to go through every item a few times per week.

Every functioning office needs a printing area. Designate a corner of your workspace solely for your printing needs. Keep your printer, ink, and paper in that location. You can even opt to put everything in a custom cabinet so that you free up more space on your desk.

Not only should the top of your desk be organized, the insides should be as well. Use small containers to hold all of your office pens, pencils, paper clips, and other smaller office supplies to declutter your desk and find things easily.

After you invest in bins for your drawers, categorize your items to make it easy to find them. You should be grouping like items together. For instance, if you’re looking for your business checks, look in the drawer where you keep all of your budgeting items.

Common categories can include:

• Mail: Stamps, envelopes, your address book, and address labels
• Financial: Checks, calculator, bill calendar
• Tools: Scissors, staplers, and hole punchers

With these simple home office organization tips, you can create a functional and beautiful space that really works for you. From using custom cabinets and cubbies to having designated mail and printing stations, you will love working from home with these cool ideas.

• https://www.mindperk.com/articles/use-the-file-act-toss-system-to-help-make-decisions-about-paper-retention/
• https://blog.potterybarn.com/how-to-organize-your-home-office/