How to Organize Your Home Office in 5 Easy Steps
No matter if you’re a freelancer or work from home full-time, organizing your home office doesn’t have to be a chore! Get it organized and it won’t feel cluttered!
Begin by clearing away anything on your desk or shelving units that doesn’t belong. Take inventory of what you have, then organize it into categories for keeping, throwing away or donating.
1. Get Organized
Home offices can easily become a breeding ground for clutter. Disorganized desk drawers, piles of files and used coffee mugs accumulate, while orphaned pens gather in corners.
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. With just a bit of effort, your home office can be organized and looking its best in no time!
1. Start with decluttering your office
Organizing experts recommend starting by eliminating anything you no longer require. Whether it’s old notebooks, unused supplies or books you haven’t read in years, getting rid of these things will free up space and give you a fresh start.
2. Define Your Workspace:
Now that you know what will go in your home office, it’s time to create an organizational plan for the space. This will guide how things should be set up and where everything belongs.
3. Consider how often you need to access items, like a printer and scanner.
According to Anna Franklin, interior designer and founder of Stone House Collective (opens in new tab), small home offices can be difficult to keep organized when there’s open shelving. If these necessities must be kept close by at all times, store them near your workspace in an accessible cabinet or drawer for quick retrieval.
4. Select a filing system that works for you
The most efficient way to organize your home office is with an efficient filing system. Creating such a system will enable you to store documents and papers efficiently, making them easy to locate when needed.
Once you’ve selected a file system that works for you, all that remains to do is get organized! Now that your office is organized, take some time to enjoy its newly-found peace of mind!
2. Create a Mail Station
Letters, bills, junk mail and other paper correspondence can become overwhelming. They often clog entry tables, cover dining room sideboards, take over counter space in kitchens and even take over entire home offices.
Controlling clutter at home requires creating a designated spot for mail and dedicating some time each week to going through it and filing everything correctly. Doing this will prevent dealing with piles of mail whenever you enter your office or need to process it.
Make a designated spot in your home for your mail station, such as an entry table in your office or kitchen where trays and baskets can be easily stacked to sort and store mail. This is an ideal location to put outgoing mail that needs sending immediately, along with anything that requires action or needs filing.
You can organize your mail using stacking trays, baskets or a wall-mounted system. This will keep your desk free of extra paper and enable quick access to what you need when needed.
In addition to organizing your incoming mail, it’s wise to create a section for outgoing mail that you don’t have the time or energy to process. Doing this will save time and energy when sending out packages or dropping off letters at the post office.
Once your office is organized, it’s essential to regularly shred paperwork and supplies in order to prevent the clutter from getting out of control again. Doing this helps prevent over-printing and saves both money on printer ink as well as the environment.
3. Designate a Space for Your Printer
If you’re trying to declutter the office or simply need an efficient way of organizing it, taking a look at everything on your desk as a starting point can be a great start. Begin by sorting through what needs, wants or simply needs getting rid of.
Once you’ve collected items that no longer serve a purpose out of drawers, shelves and cupboards, set them aside to be thrown away or shredded. Make it part of your regular routine to take an honest look at your office and work through each category one at a time.
Paper clutter in home offices is one of the primary causes of clutter – documents, bills, personal mail and more. This type of mess tends to be much harder to clear away than other kinds of office mess, so set aside time every month or so for this task.
Designate a Space for Your Printer
A printer is an essential item in any home office, but it can also be an eyesore if left on your desk. Fortunately, there are several ways to hide your printer without sacrificing work area.
1. Hide It in a Bookcase
If you have access to an extra large bookshelf that can serve as storage, hiding your printer can be done here. Simply wedge it between books or place plants in front of it for some added visual interest while working. This method works great if the space is available!
2. Store It on a Shelf
Storing your printer on a shelf is another practical but unattractive solution to hide it from view. For an aesthetically pleasing solution, consider building or purchasing a bench that includes small storage compartments for the printer on the front side.
4. Decide on a Filing System
No matter the size of your office, if you handle paper documents regularly, finding an effective filing system is a must. Not only will this make life much simpler for you, but also more manageable for those files in question.
Start by going through your paperwork and identifying which categories best suit you. You may choose to file by type or person, or group related documents together like birth certificates and medical records.
Once you’ve identified the categories to use, it’s time to create your filing system. You can utilize various techniques like alphabetical or numerical sorting, color coding or other strategies for organizing your files.
When selecting a filing system, space should also be taken into consideration. Make sure that you have enough room to store many files without them taking over other essential items in your office.
To determine how much storage you’ll require, take into account the size and number of filing drawers or cabinets you have available. Make sure there is sufficient room for each type of file you plan to utilize.
Now that your filing system is in place, the next step is to keep it current. Every month, go through your files and discard or recycle any unnecessary mail or papers that won’t be needed again.
Once you’ve accomplished these steps, your home office should be organized and clutter-free. With more freedom and peace of mind at your disposal, spending more time in your office could not be easier!
5. Get Organized
Clutter in your home office can make it difficult to stay motivated and work efficiently. Not only that, but it makes completing projects on schedule more challenging as well. So it’s essential that you get your workspace back organized for maximum effectiveness; clearing clutter from your workspace will not only help boost focus levels but also prevent mistakes from occurring.
Before you can begin organizing your home office space, you’ll need to decide what items belong there and where. This may prove challenging if your space is small or you share it with others.
Organize your files by grouping similar items together. Doing this can save time and energy when searching for information.
Another great way to stay organized is by creating zones within your office. Divide up the area into distinct tasks, like emailing or researching.
Create separate spaces for things you use frequently, like pens and paperclips. Place these in drawer organizers or baskets to keep them sorted and accessible.
Once your filing system is set up, begin decluttering and organizing your desk and other work areas. This may take some time, but once everything looks pristine again, you’ll be able to work more productively.
If you don’t have much storage, consider hanging shelves or baskets on your walls. This can be an effective way to add more workspace without taking up too much room at your desk.
Your home office is where you conduct business for your family, so having an organized workspace is essential. These five simple steps will help transform it into an efficient space that’s enjoyable to work in.