Five Panda Pointers: The importance of keeping a tidy workspace!

Clear space, clear mind – or that is what I have heard. It is very easy in the busy days, weeks and months that seem to build up in our places of work, to let things go. Papers get misplaced, coffee cups build up unwashed and you end up forgetting the colour of your desk and the surrounding floor.

Without realising it, you are reflecting your work method in your work area. Overtime, you will become more stressed and the mess around you will cause that last remaining ounce of control to snap. Break the habit and take thirty minutes out of your day to clear your space. No excuses anybody, whether it is before you start work or after you finish, you can make time to get this right. Put a space in your calendar for the sole purpose of tidying up!

If you have the double trouble of an untidy work station and one that is uncomfortable and affecting your back for example, then look at this blog on workplace comfort. (It is just as important, maybe more so then tidiness)

Get it in the bin!

There will be certain parts of your self-made mess that can instantly go in the bin. Just like your return from a long vacation, (wouldn’t that be lovely right about now - the vacation not the return!) deleting all the spam emails that do not deserve a place in your inbox. Grab a bin and throw away the old Boots meal deals, empty bottles of juice and any train newspapers you no longer read.

Hold on, I need that!

The worst-case scenario is throwing away something you really need, almost like discovering three years after throwing away a precious jumper you could have used. No hoarding now! Go through the files and then loose papers and quickly glance at what you can keep and what needs to be filed away. Those that need to be filed away may require a different set of time but at least you have cleared space. We would recommend three piles, ‘keep’, ‘file’ and ‘throw’.

You cannot blame the cleaners for this one I am afraid!

Unfortunately, as much as the office cleaners do their best, from the state of your desk at the start of this mission – they could not reach it. Untidy desk, untidy mind. (Can you see how an untidy outside environment can affect your mental state?) Give your desk a little wipe down and do not forget to wipe that keyboard and screen. For managers and directors out there, who may be reading this, your workspace is where you make your living. It is your responsibility to take pride in it and for people such as yourselves with extremely busy schedules, things can slip.

Work from home and cannot find your desk anywhere?

For our Ecommerce freelance professionals, working from home can make this even harder. I know we are all guilty of wishing we could work from home, so we can stay in our pyjamas and work in bed. But, over time this will have a negative affect on your work productivity at home.

You will become easily distracted, take a lazy approach to work and find you do not have any place in your home dedicated purely for work. There are many tips from freelance professionals with regards to maintaining that work efficiency but with regards to your work space ... Dedicate a desk or room for your work, ensure it has a professional office vibe and do not let your home life worm its way into your office. Your desk is not to be used as a washing line.

(If a few of your eyes are now looking at the dining room table/desk/kids drawing board/meal preparation station/hanging clothes/bills dumping ground – you may need to start organising now!)

Add a little colour to your day!

I am not suggesting you grow a botanical garden at your desk, with a fish bowl and pretty pictures everywhere. But, it has been scientifically proven even from a very young age that colours and plants stimulate our senses and engage your active mindset.

It could be a fake plant, (do not worry we won’t tell) but now your desk is looking like a productive work station, adding a small plant and perhaps a calendar or picture from home will really make you proud. You may not like your job but ensuring where you sit for 8 hours of your life reflects who you are, trust us it will help those long days. Here at cranberry towers we each have a picture on our desk of a goal. It may be a holiday, new kitchen, or designer handbag but it can help prioritise what we work five days a week for.

The second your picture is lost in a sea of wrappers, coffee mugs and paperwork – then you have lost sight of what you are striving for.

P.S. If it is a new job you are looking for then put a picture of our cranberry panda logo on your desk, just like the batman calling card and get in touch! You should be proud of yourself and where you work, at the end of the day where else do we spend most of our lives and require the most happiness!