5 Cheap And Simple Hacks That Will Help Organize Your Desk
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Having an organized desk is important for many people, as having a ton of clutter all over the place isn't a thing anybody wants. If you have a small work area, decluttering your desk is a big deal because you need to optimize your limited space. Outside of simply keeping it clean, there are a few things you can do that will keep everything organized.
Many of the suggestions will require you to spend a little money, but if it means you get to have a tidy workplace, it's well worth it. There are also some free or inexpensive things you can do. Mainly, you'll want to find ways to maximize your space, whether that's grabbing a filing cabinet or using space above your desk. Utilizing vertical storage space is a good thing to do, and it's something that's often suggested in small places like a studio apartment. You can do the same in a home office to maximize efficiency.
Put up shelves
Working at a desk usually means a laptop or computer monitor takes up much of the space. Adding some shelves isn't a bad idea if you have a small desk with barely any extra room to set things down. You can grab a set of floating shelves for around $20 on Amazon, and these will be perfect for holding books, pictures, or anything else you might otherwise have on a desk.
Many people like to have some flair for their workplace, especially if they sit there for eight hours a day, so adding family pictures or things that make you feel good. Putting shelves up will just move those items to the wall, freeing up a lot of space in the process. It helps that it's inexpensive, and you only have to put up a single shelf if that's all you want. Anybody can do it as long as they have a good cordless drill handy. Consider grabbing a stud finder if you're doing this because you'll want to ensure you have the right support before you proceed with this project.
Get a headset holder
A headset holder is nice if you don't have a holder built into your desk already. Headsets can take up a bunch of space when they aren't in use, so putting them in a designated spot is nice. If you don't want to wear yours all the time or set it on the floor, picking up a stand can be as cheap as $10 from Amazon. You can get one with an adhesive that'll stick right to the side of your desk and allow it to hold your headset without taking up any real estate.
If you want something to put on the top of your desk, you can do that for around the same price. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and both are fine options. Anybody looking to get the most desk space can opt for the option that sticks onto the desk as that won't take up any extra space.
Mount your monitor
Mounting your monitor on a stand or a wall can free up a lot of desk space. Mounting a monitor has many uses, and one of the main ones is simply for a cleaner look at your desk. If your desk is up against a wall, putting a monitor on the wall itself isn't a bad option. You will have to make sure you have enough support before you mount anything because you don't want your expensive screen to come crashing down.
If you can't mount your monitor to the wall, you can choose to get a stand that'll just mount it up higher while still remaining on the desk. This creates more space under the screen, so a bunch of extra space is opened up despite the fact you still have a stand attached to your desk. This is especially useful in smaller setups where every bit of space matters. You have to ensure your desk is sturdy enough to support a monitor mount because not all of them are.
Use the space under your desk
The surface of your desk can get cluttered fast, but if you take advantage of all the extra space underneath your desk, you can open up all sorts of opportunities. Putting an organizer with drawers under your desk will create a lot of extra storage for you. The twist is this isn't going to be on the ground under your desk cutting into your leg space, but it'll instead be a slide-out drawer.
You can get a pack of drawers from Amazon that can stick to the underbelly with adhesives. This will be a simple way to create extra space to store papers, pencils, and whatever small objects you have on your desk. The Keyan slide-out desk drawers have good reviews on Amazon, and the pack of three could be a great start to creating more desk space for yourself. You'll want to get the exact measurements of your desk before buying because you'll need to make sure these fit.
Get a cart
If you don't have a lot of space under your desk or on top of it, consider grabbing a desk cart. You can find an Amazon Basics option for under $40, and it comes with three containers for you to store things in. Since it's on wheels, it'll also be highly mobile as you scoot around in your office. You'll probably want a rug or some sort of mat underneath this if you have hardwood floors, as you don't want it to roll away. The main appeal of this is the ability to move things off your desk and into another storage area.
These carts can get pretty packed with things, so it's perfect in an office setting and other places around the house. Amazon advertises it working well in a kitchen, so consider picking one up if needed. Carts like this are quite affordable, so there's nothing wrong with picking up a couple if you do need the extra space.