7 Easy Ways to Organize Your Desk

Do you have a messy desk? Is it difficult to find what you need when you need it? Me too! However, with these tips, you can organize your desk and feel less stressed.

Tip 1: Organize Your Desk Items

If you’re like most people, you probably have some items that are always on top of your desk. These are things like lamps, pens, paper, etc. You need quick access to these items, but probably don’t have them too organized. Here are various ways you can organize these items:

Pens

Put pens in pen holders (a.k.a. desk organizers). These hold items on your desk in a convenient location, without making things look like a mess. Once the pens are in the pen holders, further divide your pens based off of color. You can also put items such as sticky notes, pencils, and hand-held staplers in desk organizers as well.

The Rolodex Collection Spinning Sorter has various wire mesh compartments for storing your pens.

The Amazon Basics Black Mesh Organizer has only two compartments for pens, but various compartments for other things (such as sticky notes).

If you have extra mugs that you love but never use, you can line those up and use them to store your pens, pencils and other supplies as well.

Papers

Papers should never be scattered around your desk. One method that is used in many offices is to create three stacks of papers on a desk, each in their own box.

The first stack is full of blank paper (either printer paper, or notebook paper). The second stack is full of “in” work, or work that you’re going to have to complete. The third stack is full of “out” work, or work that you need to file, recycle/throw-away, send or turn in, or shred. If you have a small desk, don’t have the blank paper stack, and deal with the “out” pile immediately, that way all you have on your desk is an “in” pile.

Organizing the papers into stacks will help you organize your desk. Not only will your desk look neat, but you’ll be able to quickly look through a stack of papers for any document you need.

Tip 2: Put Your Lamp in the Right Place

If you want to organize your desk, you’re going to have to put your lamp in the right place. Believe it or not, a lot of research goes into the proper place to put lamps on your desk. If you have a large desk, use a lamp that has a long arm capable of reaching upwards and over. If you have a small desk, use a lamp that is as small as possible, to minimize the amount of space it takes up.

Be sure to put the lamp on the opposite side of the desk from your dominant hand, that way your hand won’t cast a shadow on your work. If you’re right-handed, put the lamp in the upper-left corner of your desk (and vice-versa).

Choose the temperature of your light based on the time of day you work. If you work at night, it’s winter, or you live in a city with lots of cloudy/dreary days, you’ll want a warm light. If you work mostly at day, with lots of light coming in, and lots of sunny days, go for a colder, blue light.

Tip 3: Organize Your Desk Drawers

For this tip, take everything out of the drawers of your desk, and group all similar items together. You shouldn’t have items of one category spread all across your desk drawers. Papers, checks, bills, etc., that are related to each other should be in the same drawer.

Consider using the most convenient drawers in your desk for the items that require the most immediate concern. Use the closest drawer (that is the right size) for your laptop/computer. Consider also having a drawer for your phone, that way it won’t bug you while your working on something important.

Tip: If you’re the type of person to put gifts for others in your desk, put it in the least convenient place, and in a drawer that has nothing else in it. This will not only discourage others from opening that drawer, but also prevent you from accidently opening it while someone else is in your office.

Tip 4: Organize Your Desk Inside

You need to organize your desk drawers individually to promote efficiency while working. Each drawer needs to be organized based off of what it will hold. Always put the most urgent matters, and most used items, in the most convenient and noticeable location. For example, bills due quickly might be on top of papers at the “front” of the drawer. Bills that don’t need to be paid for a couple of weeks might be further back, that way they aren’t getting in your way.

Tip 5: Organize Your Desk Décor

Most people have something on their desk that is for decoration. This is great, but occasionally it can take up much-needed space, or become distracting. Put photos of family or locations on the opposite side of your desk from where your lamp is (if your lamp is in the upper left corner, the photos should be in the upper right corner).

Organize your desk “trinkets”. Put your other trinkets along the edge of your desk between the photos and the lamp. If you use your desk at your work place, where other people can sit on the opposite side, put the trinkets on the same edge of your desk that your photos are on. Clocks on your desk should go right next to the lamp. If they are small enough, you may be able to fit them right under it.

Tip 6: Organize Your Desk Computer Equipment

Your electronics (phone, laptop, chargers, cords, etc.) need to be put together. If you have a laptop that will fit in a drawer, put your laptop in that drawer when you aren’t using it. Put your phone either next to, or on top of, your laptop in that drawer.

Cords can be put in a cord organizer, so as to promote efficiency (and prevent you from losing your cords). The Jelly Comb Electronic Accessories Cable Organizer is a great organizer for this task. It can even fit mice (computer mice) and small tablets in it. This will also help you organize your desk electronics, as you won’t have cords everywhere all over your desk.

Tip: Try unplugging your chargers when you’re not using them. Not only will this save electricity, but it keeps the charger cords out of your way. Do the same with headphones and earbuds (unless your on a job that requires lots of calling). This could help you stay focused, and not constantly think about your phone or computer.

Tip 7: Organize Everything Else

You probably have other things besides what has been mentioned above. Maybe you have a tissue box, or paperclips, or dozens of markers, paint brushes, and the like. You can still organize your desk using these principles. Put those “utensils” that you use on your desk in containers, your papers in boxes, and everything else in your drawers.

If this article helped you organize your desk, check out other articles on planandorganize.com. We have many articles on a variety of subjects. If you check out our website, you will find articles on everything from binoculars for astronomy, to tips for creating a veggie garden. What’s the best part? You don’t have to pay a dime for all of this great material!