Whether you’re still working from home temporarily or it’s now a permanent arrangement, keeping your workspace organized is a must. Nothing is worse than having your messy work area staring you in the face when you’re done for the day. Also, it makes it easier to work efficiently when you know where everything is. One more benefit is just having a nicer place to work and of course, a Zoom-friendly spot for your meetings. Here we offer tips on how to keep your condo organized when you work from home.

1. Clean everything up now
Well, it doesn’t have to be now, but you want to straighten everything up as soon as possible. A clear base allows you to keep on top of things. So look at your desk and do a quick cleaning and organizing of everything now, so you have a process to keep things organized in future. Sort papers, make sure you have office supplies handy and wipe everything down, using a pleasant smelling cleaner.
2. Organize things logically
The best thing about working from home is you can create your own method to keep things organized. Even if you tend to be a messy person, your work area should be clutter-free. This is important when working from home because unless you have a secret button you push that neatly folds your desk, mess and all into the wall, you’ll be looking at the mess when work is done. This will keep you subconsciously preoccupied with work, and you won’t be able to relax. So come up with a logical way to organize things whether it’s stacks, files or little baskets.
Make sure you have a place for the things you need to save, the things that need action and the things you can recycle. This allows you to know where to start each morning, as well as find stuff you often refer to. Keep everything in order by sorting things as you work, and then toss the stuff you can recycle into your general blue bin at the end of the day. Nothing gets lost and your home remains a little more Zen.
3. Minimize to optimize
When you work in an office you tend to need stuff on your desk to help personalize the space like a plant or family pics. However, since you’re home, you’re already surrounded by the things you love. So instead of cluttering your desk with personal items, minimize the clutter to optimize the space and your productivity.
4. Find the right space
This is very important if you want to keep organized. Find a dedicated workspace somewhere in your condo that is used strictly for working. This can be a real challenge in small spaces but if you think strategically, it can be done. Some examples might include using a closet with a pull-down desk, one end of your dining room table, a small spot of your kitchen counter, somewhere in your utility room if you have one, etc.
It is even more important if you share your condo with family, a partner or a roommate, as they can learn that when you’re at that spot, you’re working, and they’ll leave you alone. Ideally, you want to avoid the bedroom but if you have to work there, find a way to do so that it remains less invasive. This brings us to point #5: Managing spillover.
5. Manage ‘spill over’
Your workspace should not start spilling over into your living space. Keep the stuff you need for work contained to whatever corner you’ve committed to working so your home is for relaxing and living, and your workspace is, well – just for working. Again, it’s all about Zen and calm.
If you have an actual room for your office, you can just close the door. But chances are if you live in a condo, space is at a premium and you’re more likely to have work crammed in a corner somewhere. So keep it dedicated to work, and leave the rest of your home for downtime. Some tips to keep things contained might include:
- Hanging a curtain that you can pull across the area when you’re done for the day
- Investing in a desk or fold up table that can be tucked away when work is over
- As mentioned, using space in a closet, so you can shut the door when you’re done
- Covering your work area with a tablecloth to disguise it (although the mound will be just as distracting for most people!)
- Using a pretty, foldable partition wall
6. Work is work; personal is personal
Tying in with points #4 and #5, don’t start using your workspace as a dumping ground. You can become very disorganized quickly by tossing things like credit card bills, kids’ permission slips, doctor’s appointments cards, receipts, etc., on your desk and then losing them in your work. Keep a separate place for your personal paperwork to avoid confusion, while also helping keep your workspace neater. Whatever you can do to keep your work life separate from your living space will help keep your condo organized.
7. Learn from your old job
If you find it difficult to keep things organized, use your in-person office set up to help. How did your office keep paperwork organized? What kind of filing system or cloud storage files did they use? What tools or equipment did they have to keep things more productive? You can adopt these same practices at home to keep yourself organized and provide a more familiar work environment that can make you feel more comfortable working from home.
8. Go digital
When possible, limit the paperwork altogether. Instead of printing things, sort and file them in logical digital files that allow you to access them quickly. If you’re used to dealing with paper, this can take some time to adjust. However, paperless offices are the future and will keep you more organized and eco-friendly. Don’t forget that any documents you no longer need can either be archived or deleted to keep your digital files organized.
9. Use a checklist or spreadsheet
Create a list or spreadsheet of all the pending work that needs to get done. Again, adopting practices you used at the office will help keep you on top of your workload. You can also share these docs with co-workers. If you’re not ready for paperless, have a to-do basket to keep papers organized so you can access them easily.
10. Use your walls
Last but not least, with limited space to keep organized, use your walls. You can find affordable storage and office organization solutions that you can keep above your desk for files, storing pens, arts and crafts, personal paperwork, etc. This takes up less space than adding a filing cabinet or trying to keep everything on a tiny desk.
There you have it. Easy tips to keep your condo organized when working from home. If you’re having trouble coping with the mess, don’t stress.
To learn more about our condo home cleaning services, call Maid4Condos at 647-822-0601 or contact us here.
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