Clutter – It’s really just noise.

I had to clean the house before writing this. Clear out the garbage, dust away the dirt and cobwebs, put away the neglected piles. Just to get a clear head, some focus. Even though those piles are inanimate, they still create noise; or rather my head creates their noise. “Fold me, file me, I’ve been here for six weeks for no reason…”

Finding that space to work effectively isn’t always possible. Work that requires dealing with customers, coworkers, and taking/making calls, doesn’t really have real personal space for workers.

From shared workspaces in the service industry, to open concept cubicles, to offices where people just wander in, there are thousands of pieces of noise that we have to process in a workday. How can one keep all that from draining too much energy? Introverts will feel drained from all that and we need to have an outlet to recharge on our own. We can either slow down the draining, or have a really great recharge area at the end of the workday. Otherwise we, the introverts, will have some trouble functioning as our best selves after a few days in a row.

It’s stuff – Treat it like stuff. You won’t hurt it’s feelings.

If you have some control over your workspace, such as a personal desk area, you can try to pare down what you have there. What do you really need? Can items fit into drawers? If you have décor such as photos, are they calming and positive?

Not all workplaces let you personalize them in any way. This means more focus on the downtime spaces either at home or in your favorite place. Is this space easy to relax in? Can you filter out all the buzzing from the day? If not, perhaps it’s time for a decluttering? Simple changes such as a fresh colour of paint or a small vase of fresh flowers can really boost the feel of your space as well, although perhaps that’s for after a heart-to-heart with the extras in the room…

When you work from home…

Now, what if you work from home? Sounds super sweet until you have to separate life from work to actually accomplish anything in either arena. I find that being in a room that is too filled with my “stuff”, my unfinished business, my piles of get-to-it-laters are as exhausting as a huge party.

Let’s look at office space. If you do have your own desk area, have a look around. Do you feel like you can get work done in that space? If the answer is no, what is the main reason? Is this a reason that you can change? If so, get on it! Take a couple lunch breaks and get this organized. You will be more productive with that workspace.

On the home front, if you have a home office, what is separating your workspace from personal living space? Chances are, if your laundry is on your desk, you may not be focusing quite as well as you could be! Get that work area cleared up and free from distractions and see just how much you really can get accomplished! You may even surprise yourself!!

Keep it simple. It’s not rocket science.

We’ve seen it all on those home improvement shows: make the three piles of keep, donate and toss. Create that space to come home to where all your things speak to you without shouting over your thoughts. Put everything in order and get rid of the dust. You know what to do and hey, it’s a great way to spend some time on your own (the introverts will understand)!