Lots of individuals will attest that they can only function in an environment which is filled with clutter, where desks are untidy and just plain dirty. Well they are not doing themselves any service because researchers say, that having too much stuff surrounding us, will not make us more productive, in fact it is a mechanism for us to procrastinate rather than produce. The benefits of having a clean and tidy office or working environment can therefore be directly related to productivity at the office.

Granted it might look clinical and cold, but this should not be confused with a clutter-filled home. Here you can really go to town and fill up your spaces with accessories and memorabilia as if there is no tomorrow.

But, at the work place it is much better to have a desk which is always neat. Everything should have it’s demarcated space and one should stick to it. There is nothing worse than having a desk which looks like a rubbish dump. You cannot find things easily and it slows you down when you need to find something for the boss, fast.

Research has also shown that if we are already stressed, and three quarters of the population is already stressed anyway, then having a minimalistic environment with pastel colors, a few plants and soft lighting will help to bring our stress levels down while we work. Hence we do not need to work in cluttered offices.

A typical clean and tidy desk will not have empty coffee mugs, food, attache cases or handbags covering up your space. Your pen, pencils, paper clips, erasers and sellotape should be packed away in a drawer and only the pen or pencil you are writing with should be on the desk.

But why should you go through all this? It is going to help you become a more productive individual. You should focus on your work at hand and not the things that surround you. If you need something personal, then only have one photo and one plant on your desk.

If you understand the benefits of having a clean and tidy office or working environment, or if you are an employer, your staff will take their work more seriously and can de-stress while doing their job. So make it a fun activity for everyone, and create a clean up day at the office. Introduce an incentive or two for those who work hard at keeping theirs neat and tidy.

We live in north London and turn to window cleaners in our area to clean our windows for us. They make our windows very clean and we never have any regrets with them.