Organize Your Workspace for Improved Mental Health

Organize Your Workspace for Improved Mental Health
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One way to alleviate stress and improve your mental health at work is to work from a clean and organized workspace.

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Each employee probably prefers his or her own style of organized workspace, but here are a few cleaning tips to get you started:

Start with sanitation. Wipe down and disinfect desk tops, keyboards, computer mice and phones. Try to regularly rid your desk of the germs that can gather there.

Get rid of clutter. Old papers, dirty coffee mugs, and extra, useless supplies shouldn't have a home at your workspace.

Don't forget what you can't see. Sometimes having a junk drawer is just unavoidable. That doesn't mean every one of your desk drawers should be a junk drawer, though.

Don't overdo it. You need to be comfortable at your workspace. If it's too clean or organized and you feel like you can't actually do work, you've gone too far.

Organize both physically and virtually. In most workplaces, a computer is a vital part of your workspace. Clean up and organize your files, too.

Do this regularly. Creating a clean workspace isn't a one and done event. As you continue your work, your desk will probably get messy again.

It's great to keep these tips in mind and share them with your employees. You don't have to leave it up to them to enforce, however. Recognize the role that your employee wellness program can play in maintaining a clean and organized workspace.

Provide the Supplies

Make cleaning supplies not only free to your employees, but easily accessible as well. The fewer barriers between your employees and the means for a clean desk, the more likely they'll be to take advantage. Try to keep cleaning supplies in a common area, and be sure you have enough to go around.

Host a Cleaning Day

Depending on the type of work you do in your office, cleaning day might be once a week, once a month or even once every quarter. Whichever you decide, set aside an hour or so for everyone to stop what they're doing and get their workspaces in order. This gives your employees a guilt-free time to get cleaned up.

Start with Common Spaces

The common spaces in your office play a bigger role in company culture than you probably realize. If the breakroom, the bathrooms or the kitchen are cluttered and unorganized, that can create a similar attitude throughout the office.

Talk About It

Use your wellness program and your health promotion materials to point out how an organized workspace can help reduce stress and improve mental health. The more your employees know about the benefits of a clean workspace, the easier it will be for them to adopt the habit.

Addressing mental health is just as important as addressing diet and exercise in your employee wellness program. One way to tackle the issue of mental health and help to alleviate stress in your office is to encourage your employees to work from a clean, organized workspace. Take the time to share some cleaning tips, and use your wellness program to promote this awesome, easy mental health habit.

How does a clean workspace help you stay stress free and mentally healthy?

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