Here at WashiGang, it's hard to be a minimalist! Especially for our staff who love stationery so much!! There's just not enough room for all the books and stationery that we need in our lives. Are some of you in the same boat?
With more and more of us in the world working from home, there is no better time to get organised! So, let's pull up our sleeves and organise our desks to keep ourselves focused, productive and from feeling overwhelmed. We can do it together!!! 
Why is it so Important to Organise Your Desk?
There is a direct correlation between your productivity and the environment in which you work or study; if there are numerous distractions, it becomes harder to concentrate on your work. The difference between a neatly organised room and a disorganised one is something many of us have personally experienced. Having a well-organised workspace leads to increased productivity! A messy desk means that you cannot find what you need when you need it. It also means that it will take a lot of time for you to find the right tool, resulting in more time wasted and less time spent on the task at hand.
So, what should we do? First, start by making a list of all the tools and items you use regularly. Second, decide where everything will go on your desk and how you can store them so they are easy to find again later, with an aim to focus on a clean, minimalist space. (But let's make it pretty, too!)
The 7 Best Tips for Organising Your Desk & Home Office
Step 1: De-clutter Your Desk
Let's Marie Kondo this desk space!!! The first step to de-cluttering your desk is to get rid of the things you don't use. This includes anything that doesn't belong on your desk or that you don't need at the moment, as well as items you haven’t used in weeks.
The next step is to organise what's left. Organise by type of object and put everything in its place, so it's easy to find when you need it. De-cluttering your desk is an excellent time to write a list of everything you have, as well as the essentials that you need.
Great job everyone! We're already feeling that de-cluttered desk zen. 
(Photo via The Happy Planner - Shop Happy Planner products here.)
Step 2. A Spacious Desk With a Comfy Chair
It's a good idea to think about the right furniture, if you're starting from scratch, when it comes to designing your workspace. It's better to spend money on essential items if you already have room. If you already have an office or workspace setup (and you’re just reorganising or refreshing) then focus on the two main ingredients - the desk and chair!
The desk and chair are the primary pieces of furniture that go into creating a workspace, where you can work or study. During long periods of study or work, a good chair will be your best ally, so focus on comfort and support! If you primarily use your laptop or books, a simple but functional table is all you need. For artists, designers, or those who use many tools in their work, it's better to have a large desk because your desk is basically your workspace.
When deciding where to put your desk, take into account the amount of natural light your room gets from the windows and other sources and organise your desk accordingly. 
(Photo via MiGoals - Shop MiGoals here!)
Step 3. A Planner or Journal
Keeping a planner or journal on your desk can help you stay on top of tasks by serving as a visual reminder of your priorities (preventing you from overlooking anything important). The act of writing your plans down on paper is tangible, which helps you to remember your tasks more easily.
A planner is a must-have tool for increasing your productivity, and is far less distracting than a multitude of sticky notes all over your desk. Happy Planner has so many different options to suit your planning needs, coming in Mini, Classic & Big sizes, vertical, dashboard and horizontal, dated and undated layouts! You can even get to-do list pages to add to your planner, daily pages, guided pages and lots of stickers to help you highlight important events and tasks. Plan by month, week or day and find a planner to suit your needs such as teacher planners, guided planners, notebooks, budgeting and all kinds of options to make your life easier! 
(Photo via The Happy Planner - Shop Happy Planner Botanicals Collection Here)
Mossery also offer a beautiful range of twinbooks with both planner and notebook in one! This is a flexible option for those who like to take notes or write to-do lists, whilst also sticking to a weekly planner.
If you'd prefer to create your own layout for planning, to-do lists and note-taking, we have a wonderful range of journals, notebooks and workbooks in the shop! Some of our current favourite Journals include Mossery, Archer & Olive, Rhodia, MiGoals, Paper24, Moleskine & Bespoke Letterpress! Each come with their own special features, such as the Rhodiarama A5 Dot Grid Goal Books, with a soft cover, dot grid pages and yearly and monthly overviews.
If you're after an eco-friendly option - have a look at our new Earth Greetings lined notebooks or the Dingbats Notebooks range.
SHOP MORE PLANNERS AND JOURNALS HERE! 
(Photo via Bespoke Letterpress - Shop Bespoke Letterpress here)
Step 4. Inspirational Mood Board or Inspirational Wall Art
Want to brighten up your workspace? Try adding a mood board or some beautiful wall art!
If you’re opting for a mood board, your best bet is to use a cork board or paper mood board. Take time to decide the vision for your mood board, is it about affirming the things you enjoy, finding your aesthetic, aspiring to a career or life you'd like to work towards? On your mood board, include things like your favourite artworks & colours, quotes that inspire you, and photos from vacations you've enjoyed or would like to enjoy, and pics of friends and family. Personalise it to your liking, but keep in mind that you should only include the things that are truly important to you, and not anything else. It's all about creating your vision!
When opting for wall art, choose wall art based on styles or colour palettes to create a calming aesthetic. Think about the feeling that you'd like your desk area to create - are you hoping for a feeling of calm, to be inspired, to feel happy and joyful while you work? Pick artworks that reflect this! In some cases, less is more and if you're going for a clean and minimalist aesthetic, we recommend aiming for one or two feature artworks to avoid overcrowding the walls and to match your newly cleaned desk space. 
Step 5. Practical Shelves & Storage Options
Investing in functional shelves and storage options is a great way to keep your desk well-ordered. For example, finding a notebook or some blank sheets shouldn't take more than a few minutes. If you have a big desk, opt for a small mobile cabinet, with roller wheels, that can fit under your desk, while providing enough space for your chair. 
Think about the items that you need to keep on shelves and on your desk and how you'd like to store them! You may be able to recycle some glass jars to fill with pens and pencils, or a pretty box for keeping important notes! When it comes to storage options, there is none better than our Collapsible Storage Crates. They're great for storing washi tapes, stickers, pens, loose papers, notebooks and all kinds of stationery items! Collapsible, stackable, available in a range of colours and different sizes, our collapsible storage crates help to keep your space extra tidy and cute. When not needed they can be stored away without taking up space. They also happen to make great additions for bedrooms, kitchen cupboards and bathrooms!
SHOP MORE CRATES HERE
Step 6. Add Some Plants & Greenery
We love plants here at WashiGang!! If you're always seeing beautiful homes & office spaces filled with lush greenery on Instagram & Pinterest (like us), it can be easy to get carried away with your plant collection! In reality you only need a few plants to bring your office space to life (don't tell Shannon).
If you're after an unobtrusive and easy to care for plant opt for a small cactus, air plant or some dried flowers, for an instant good vibes lift for your desk area!
If you’re looking for a bigger piece of greenery in your office space, aim for an easy-to-care for, hardy plant that requires little natural light. Popular options include succulents, bamboo, peace lilies, trailing plants (like devil’s ivy or chain of hearts), a snake plant or a ficus.If you have a furry friend - make sure you check if your plants are pet friendly first! Pet friendly plants such as Boston Ferns, Ponytail Palm or an African Violet are good non-toxic options. Here's a great guide to non-toxic plants for pets:
https://info.animalemergencyservice.com.au/non-toxic-plants-for-pets
Step 7: Create a System for Your Files & Stationery
As you know by now, a messy desk can be a nightmare for any worker. It can cause you to misplace important documents and make you feel stressed out. It’s important to create a system for your files and stationery so that you can easily find things when required, without the stress or anxiety of looking around the whole house.
Organise your files based on their type and importance. If it is an important document, then it should be placed in an organised folder or box with the other documents of the same type. If it is not as important, then it should be placed in a file storage box or expanding file with different sections clearly labelled, e.g. utility bills, phone bills, insurance etc. If you’re a visual person, incorporate colour to your filing system by colour-coding important items, like bills in blue, taxes in green, etc. 
With a neat and organised desk, the last thing is to stock up on essentials such as Highlighters, Mildliner Pens, Gel Pens, Marker Pens, sticky notes & memo pads.
Thanks for reading along! Are you feeling inspired to organise your desk and workspace? Let us know how you go in the comments! And if you find that you're short on a few stationery essentials - take a look at the WashiGang shop! 
Want to know more about how to be more productive?
Keep Reading!
Leave a comment