We have been working from home for months, but with COVID pandemic restrictions slowly lifting, some people are moving back to the office. Chances are, you left your office in a bit of a rush and may have left things a little disorderly. In this article, we’ll provide some tips for moving back to the office, but they can be equally helpful if you are moving to a new office space.
On your first day back to the office, it’s tempting to bring everything from home. It’s understandable. You probably don’t want to have work-related stuff at home anymore. However, only take the essentials. Spend some time clearing and organizing before moving in, and you will save time in the future.
Toss, Clean, and Sort
Toss the Garbage: Clear out your desk and desk drawers. Pitch out all of the old food wrappers, unknown plastic bits, pens with no ink, broken pencils, etc.
Eliminate Surplus: Take excess office supplies to the stock room. (Clean them with sanitizing wipes first to prevent COVID spread.) Assess your stock of personal items such as lip gloss, hand cream, and toothpaste. Keep only one of each. A small cosmetics bag can keep your things from cluttering your desk drawers.
Clean Your Desk: Grab some cleaner and wipes and give your desk a good cleaning. Get into the corners of the drawers to get out any crumbs. Sanitize frequently touched surfaces such as your keyboard, mouse, power switches, telephone buttons and headset, and drawer handles.
Check the View: Too much visual stimulation can cause sensory overload and decrease productivity. Aim for about 20%-25% décor (kids’ drawings, inspirational art, etc.) and 75%-80% clear space.
Sort Paperwork: Quickly separate paperwork into groups: Action, Read, File, Outdated-Recycle, and Outdated-Shred. Remove the outdated paperwork immediately. You can leave the other three piles close by to work on later in the week.
Rearrange and Organize
Put It Back with Intention: Slowly start to return items to your desk space and think about how you will use each item. Use an inbox/outbox style tray to keep your active paperwork from spreading around your desk. Label the trays, so you develop the habit of putting papers where they belong. Keep frequently used items on your desk or in the top drawer. Use drawer dividers to keep your office supplies organized.
Rearrange your desktop: Place items to suit your needs. If you are right-handed and take a lot of notes while talking on the phone, place the phone on the left side, so you have your right hand free to use a pen and notepad or the mouse and keyboard.
Plan for Storage: Plan on where you will store your coat and backpack, bag, or briefcase. Under-the-desk storage is possible, but only if you still have ample room for your legs and feet. You can store bags in larger desk drawers, and they have the advantage of being lockable. Over-the-door hooks are useful if your office space has a door. If you’re in a cubicle, these partition hooks are great for keeping items off the floor.
Once you’ve got your office cleared, cleaned, and organized, you’ll feel much better – and be more productive in your space. Read more posts for advice on moving back to the office or moving to a new office, or contact the Out of Chaos team through our website, by email at info@outofchaos.ca or by phone at 604-813-8189. We’d be delighted to help.
Image by McKinsey on rawpixel.
