As spring begins to peek through winters dreary haze, you may be feeling in the spirit to get some spring cleaning done. Then you see your desk and notice the mountains of papers and files staring back at you and then all motivation disappears. Getting organized is tough for the best of us, pile onto that deadlines and responsibilities, and it might seem infinitely easier to push off getting organized because it can simply be “done later”.
There is appears to be a stereotype in our culture that highly organized people have a better chance of appearing to have their life together. Although this is not a certainty, there are many health benefits resulting from personal organization that can improve the quality of your work, relationships, and overall life.
I think I can speak for many when I say – I don’t love cleaning… like ever. At all. I could compile a list of just about anything else I’d rather do (ex. Watching Netflix, playing with my dog, baking cookies…). For me, cleaning one of those tasks that’s gets done only when absolutely necessary. For example, have company coming over? Might be time to fold that pile of laundry that’s been accumulating on a chair in the corner of the room. Client coming in for a meeting? Seems like an opportune time to trash all those sticky notes you haven’t read in months. But what if I told you that staying organized all the time could greatly improve not only your work, but your office space as a whole?
Let’s have a look at just a few of the perks of staying organized.
Energy Levels:
We all know that feeling. It’s mid-afternoon, and maybe you find yourself; chin hand while you’re scrolling through monotonous spreadsheets trying desperately to stay awake. Some call it that 2:30 feeling. That feeling of getting drowsier by the minute with the only thing keeping you fully awake being the bright glow from that screen in front of you. Instead of reaching for a third cup of coffee, try organizing and tidying your desk. WebMD tell us that taking this time to straighten your work area can help you feel more energetic for the remainder of the day.
Stress:
Cortisol is the hormone present in all of us that produces and dictates the body’s stress levels. According to another study, individuals with disorderly homes as well as work areas filled with unfinished projects, were more depressed and fatigued than others who were organized and focused. This process of cleaning and creating a desk area where we can successfully finish work will make us feel happier and more stress-free in the long run.
Eating Habits:
Sometimes instead of that third cup of coffee, many of us reach for the next-best thing…something with loaded with sugar. This is something I am 1000% guilty of. I will choose a bag of gummy worms over a kale salad any day. However, a recent study shows that being tidy and organized can also effect your nutritional choices as well. Psychological Science discovered that people with a neat desktop were two times more likely to pick up a healthy snacking option than those with cluttered desk areas.
Health Benefits:
The fifth and final reason for keeping thing clean is that it could even save your life! An article from Reader’s Digest reported that people who kept their homes, yards, and workspaces clean had a 30% lower risk of a first-time heart attack or stroke compared to those who were unorganized.
Sleep:
Remember that pile of laundry I talked about earlier? Turns out clutter and mess in your bedroom can be causing you stress that you may not even know about. Getting rid of all the unnecessary items and tidying your bedroom has been reported to improve sleep habits. Even making your bed after waking up has been known to give many a better night’s rest. If you chronically do work from your bedroom (or specifically your bed), try finding another location to work. Your brain has great spacial memory, so when you try to sleep in the same space, your mind may still be fixated on work and thereby keeping you from getting some well-deserved rest. If attempting to create the ideal sleep environment , check out these tips from Harvard.
These are just a few of the amazing benefits that may be provided by simply taking a few minutes each day to keep things organized both on the job and at home. Something as simple as filing papers or dusting the worktop can have rewarding effects on our lives and quality of work. Here at Davies we provide completely customized remanufactured solutions which can help optimize your workflow and organization.
Give us a call today at 518.449.2040 to see how we can help you!
