The physical environment of the workplace has a significant effect on the way we work. When our space is a mess, so are we.
That’s certainly true from a simple logistical perspective: We lose precious minutes of work every time we search for a stray piece of paper on a cluttered desk. Unfortunately, the same is true for those who have gone paperless: an international survey showed that information workers spend up to two hours a week futilely searching for lost digital documents.
Clutter Affects Your Brain And Your Work
You may not mind overstuffed filing cabinets or piles of paper on your desk. But scientists have shown that our brains like order and that constant visual reminder of disorganization deplete our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to concentrate. They also found that when participants decluttered their work environment, they were better able to focus and process information, and their productivity increased.
Clutter can also affect our general mental health, making us feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol were higher in mothers whose home environment was cluttered; Elevated cortisol levels sustained over time can cause anxiety and depression.
Our relationships with others can also be affected by our disorder. For example, in one study, participants with cluttered desks were perceived to be less conscientious, more neurotic, and less likable. Such perceptions of an employee are likely to negatively influence how others interact with them and may have negative consequences for their career advancement.
What Can Be Done?
Regularly tidying up your workspace, rather than letting things pile up, is the tried-and-true way to keep clutter at bay. However, avoid letting things get so bad that you start cleaning as a form of procrastination. Maintaining a designated work space can help create a boundary between work items and household items if you work at home.
Setting up regular “spring cleaning” days with pizza for teams and organizations can build social interaction and support around a task most people don’t enjoy. Consider instituting a clean desk policy to govern the order of shared workspaces. Work with your team to provide employee support in the form of tools to manage documents online and clarity on what to keep and what to throw away. In doing so, organizations must balance practical and security considerations and consider the need for self-identity and employee autonomy.
