DON’T LET CLUTTER AND MESS ADD TO OFFICE STRESS

Sharon Schweitzer, etiquette expert and founder of Access to Culture, an international protocol firm, says the benefits of an organized workspace are improved clarity, decreased clutter and better productivity. She offers the following tips for an effective spring once-over of your office space:

Throw out the trash: Go through drawers and toss out the garbage, like candy wrappers and those items that no longer work, such as the 26 pens you’ve been hanging onto since the Marlins won the World Series. Schweitzer says that by making a habit of cleaning out unnecessary messes, you’ll save space and finally find some of those items you deemed “missing” years ago.

Wipe it down: Keep disinfectant wipes in your now-accessible drawer and clean your desk surface regularly. You shouldn’t need another bout with the flu to know that a germ-free workspace benefits you and your co-workers.

Get organized: Whether you want to file items by date, importance, the alphabet or any other system, just do it. Schweitzer says that once your files are organized, you should go through them each month to ensure all files are properly placed.

Embrace the scanner: If you really want to reduce clutter and minimize paper, scan your outstanding documents and save them as PDFs. You’ll save space, create a searchable database and have an easier way to share files with others when necessary.

Keep at it: Your space may “shine like a pearl” after cleanup. Don’t let the fresh and clean feeling be short-lived. “The line is that my co-workers don’t feel the need to clean up each night because the firm pays for an office cleaning service, but that’s a lie and they know it,” says Ryan Brouillet, a paralegal. “They’re like entitled kids. They all know the cleaning crew can’t touch our desks. That’s made clear on their first day at work.”