Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month?
Research has shown how the environment at work directly impacts on how we feel, think and perform, and regular decluttering at work can have a positive impact.
A clean, well-maintained workplace goes a lot further than appearances — a cluttered office is often a significant source of stress, anxiety and reduced productivity, as visual disorder causes the brain to constantly process unnecessary information, leading to mental fatigue. You can find further details about the symptoms and management of stress on the Mental Health UK website.
But how do you start decluttering at work? And how can you find time to keep it going?
Why decluttering at work matters for mental health
As we’re in spring, this is a timely point in the year to ‘take stock’ and look at where you can declutter and embrace a “less is more” approach. Cleaning and decluttering have been proven to significantly lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone), improving mental clarity and boosting focus.
Simple ways to start decluttering at work (top tip: it doesn’t involve buying more storage)
Once you start decluttering at work, you can build it into your schedule; for example, emptying and cleaning the fridge before the office Christmas holidays, a weekly desk clearance or a monthly overhaul of your paperwork.
1. How much paper do you need on your desk?
If you love stationery, you might say ‘a lot’!
But if you – or other people – are feeling bogged down by untidy piles of scrap paper, notes and other documents, it’s time to find a solution. Can you get a small set of drawers to store the paper out of sight, or challenge yourself and ask for one drawer or part of a shelf in a shared storage area?
Type up handwritten notes and save them to your PC. Keep the paper documents you need and shred the rest (shredding is fun!). Unless it’s an essential document (e.g. a recent client agreement, utility notice) it can go; and if there are copies saved on your computer or on your team’s shared cloud space it can most certainly go. If your work is mainly computer-based, you probably don’t need 100 sheets of scrap paper or 20 notebooks. Donate the notebooks you don’t absolutely love to colleagues or charity, set yourself a set number of scrap pages to keep and recycle the rest.
2. Do all your pens work?
This is most certainly a no! Grab one of those sheets of scrap paper and test every pen and highlighter in your pot. Whatever doesn’t work goes right in the bin.
3. Toys, photos, food and ‘bits’
Do you really to fully personalize your work area? Sorry, but you don’t.
Toys, soft toys in particular, and photos, keepsakes and other bits gather dust and add to unnecessary clutter to your workspace. They might even exacerbate your allergies. Try and reduce toys and photos to two of each item, keep food in airtight containers and avoid eating at your desk if possible (clean up crumbs promptly to avoid pest problems).
Be realistic about your collection of ‘bits’. For example, smelly gym clothes should be stored in a locker (if available) or your car, instead of in an open carrier bag at your desk, spreading odours and germs around the office; invest in a proper gym bag to store your stuff. It’s fine to keep a spare pair of tights in your drawer at work, but a whole box that makes it difficult to open your drawer is an annoyance.
Reduce your stuff, embrace the space!
Get Shine to help clear the decks
If you’re planning to have an office clearout and do some decluttering at work, Shine Cleaning Solutions can not only arrange a one-off waste removal but can also get into those neglected nooks and crannies around your workspaces and give them a thorough clean.
Get in touch to book your clean with us!
Decluttering at work: your secret weapon
Beyond the benefits that our customers and your staff can see, clearing clutter it is also hugely helpful to our cleaning staff.
By actively decluttering at work, whether it’s around the office or in a large storage area, your actions allow cleaning staff to access more areas with more ease. Also, when you have a professional office cleaning company like Shine Cleaning Solutions in place to provide clear instructions and a written cleaning schedule, it gives peace of mind to cleaning staff too as they know what they are expected to do each day.
Supporting our customers’ cleaning objectives is important, but it is also important for Shine Cleaning Solutions to support the wellbeing of our cleaning staff.
We are able to offer jobs which have some degree of flexibility.
A cleaning job, particularly when offered with flexible working arrangements (e.g. working in the evening after the kids have finished school; around family caring commitments; or around another job), can significantly support an individual’s mental health and stress management by providing a low-stress and physically active work environment.
The flexibility allows for a better work-life balance, while the nature of the work itself acts as a therapeutic, meditative activity. Sometimes a few hours away from the kids in the evening provides the peace and quiet some staff need to get through the day!
By prioritising clean environments and employee wellbeing for both our company and our customers, we can create workplaces where people feel healthier, happier and more productive every day.