August 29, 2007

Create an organized workspace
Less mess, more bliss.

By JESSICA PERALTA
SqueezeOC.com

Piles of paperwork litter your desk. Yesterday's lunch is stuck to the bottom of the report due to your boss in 10 minutes. You can't find your desk planner to reschedule an appointment you're already late for.

"Good organizational habits are extremely important in the work environment," said Nancy McGivney, professional organizing coach in Orange County.

"If you can't find what you need when you need it, your work suffers, your reputation as a professional suffers, and your stress level can increase. If you are organized, you will be efficient, have good self-esteem, be respected by your peers and managers, and are more likely to be successful."

Organization and overall design of your work area should not be ignored in your quest for a happy job life. Here are some tips from an interior designer and a couple of organizing pros.

• Keep things on your desk that you use daily, said Cal State Fullerton instructor Manny Fernandez Jr., who teaches a class called "Using 5S to Organize the Workplace." Things you need occasionally (once a week, perhaps) should be off your desk but stored in an easy-access place. If you have things that are rarely or never used, get rid of them or store them where they're not taking up space.

• Get a notebook specifically for keeping a daily dated log of telephone notes, numbers, and other important information for future reference and to verify details, McGivney said.

• Take 15 minutes at the end of each day to clear your desk and prioritize your to-do list for the next day, McGivney said. Refill any office supplies, and if you're a Post-it Notes user, staple all of the notes to one piece of paper (in order of importance) and place the paper in your "hot file."

• Use color strategically in your work area to counteract stress and induce creativity, said Rachel Hulan, owner of Path Design in Santa Ana, an interior design firm with a focus on "green" design.

Light blue and pink can help relieve anxiety, and purple may help stimulate creativity.

Greens, particularly softer blue-greens like moss and sage, can make time seem to pass more quickly, as well as remind you of the outdoors.

Avoid yellow and orange if you're trying to lose weight – they've been known to induce hunger.

• Add pictures to your work area, Hulan said – not just the standard photos of your spouse, kids and/or pets, but also large images of where you would most like to be: a favorite vacation spot or an exotic place you'd like to visit one day.

Hang the image where you can easily see it when you need some mental and physical relief from staring at a computer screen all day.

• Get a few air-purifying plants like dracaena, bromeliad, orchids, and gerbera daisies for your work area, Hulan said. These plants can help brighten up a work space and help remove common air pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene.