Productivity in the office is essential for all individuals in every company.

Even a few minutes lost every day is going to add up over time. You can force yourself to work by giving yourself a shot of espresso, but this is only a temporary fix. To become more productive, you have to set up your space to be productive.

This guide is going to show you how you can make your workspace more productive.

Related Article: 11 Free Productivity Apps That Will End Your Work Day Much Earlier

A Change of Scenery

First of all, one of the biggest causes of a loss of productivity is the fact that the office can become stagnant. If you look at the same four walls and the same people every day, it’s no surprise that you are going to become fatigued. It’s going to steadily wear down your productivity levels.

A change of scenery is in order, and more CEOs are realizing this than ever before. One of the options open to you is to allow some of your workers to spend a few hours per week working from home. A virtual office for SMEs is a great way to help people take a break from the same work environment. The stats say 76 percent of employees are more productive outside of the office.

Every so often you should change the order of the office. Move the desks to the other side of the room and switch places with someone else. A simple change like this can make all the difference.

Purge the Office

Clutter always stands in the way of productivity. Most people don’t purge the office as often as they should. If your desk is a mess, it’s time to clean it up. The key to purging is being ruthless and to do it far more often than you think you need to.

Not only does cleaning up the office create a feeling of productivity, it gives you a sense of accomplishment, which can incentive you on for the rest of the day. If you are operating in a shared office, encourage others to do the same. There’s no point sitting at a shared desk only to have a giant mess around you.

Install Some Plants

When you are working in the corporate world, it’s easy to get carried away with the idea that everything has to be serious and the only thing you should have in an office is a photocopier and a water cooler. Studies have shown that adding some green to your room can make a huge difference to your productivity levels. Another study said that plants can remove toxins from the air.

The best plants produce oxygen and they help to keep the air circulating. That oppressive feeling that descends upon you after many hours in the office happens due to stagnant air. It’s why something as simple as opening a window can make a massive difference to how you feel.

Create a Work Zone and Store Supplies Accordingly

Have you ever spent what seems like an age running around the office trying to come up with the stapler to put the finishing touches on your report?

Whether it’s the stapler or your last red pen, there’s nothing that destroys productivity more than madly running around trying to find what you need. Reduce wasted time by making sure any and all supplies are within reach.

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Imagine the office as a series of zones. There are all the different departments, the main work zones, and recreation areas. Think about where supplies are stored in relation to specific departments. It makes no sense to create a central point for office supplies because people are going to constantly have to leave their desks to go get something.

Ensure that everything you need is within easy reach.

What About Your Filing System?

Nothing cuts the amount of time you have to get things done like a bad filing system. It’s common knowledge that filing systems are moving into the digital age, with paper documents becoming a thing of the past. If your office has yet to make the switch, you are missing out.

Your filing system should be entirely online. There’s no reason to maintain filing cabinets filled with paper documents in the 21st century. You can save yourself a lot of time, effort, and money by making an effort to go digital.

Think About the Time You Spend Each Day

Sometimes your space can be cluttered not just by things but by people and pointless tasks. Look at your calendar and consider what’s necessary and what isn’t. If you have constant meetings and preparations for meaningless meetings, you are taking time away from more important tasks when it makes no sense.

As part of any reorganization, reorganize your schedule and consider whether you are spending your time in the best possible way.

The Archiving System

Most office workers think that they have a lot of work to do. But look at their schedules and everything they are doing is based on a current project. The majority of what’s on their desks is the leftovers of an old project. There are notes for projects that are six months old buried under a mountain of paperwork.

The problem people have is that they don’t bring a formal end to a project. They simply move onto the next thing. And this leads to a gradual pile that never gets addressed.

You should create an archiving system that can bring a real end to a project. This is the sort of system that will ensure that all aspects of previous projects are removed. Pieces of paper may be stored in folders in cupboards well away from you, or you may simply throw everything in the recycling bin.

But this is the key to keeping everything under control, as well as ensuring that everything remains relevant.

Related Article: Stop Letting Time Slip Away: 10 Productivity Secrets of Top Leaders

Do it Regularly

The annual spring cleaning may be a ritual at your office. For the first few weeks, you feel refreshed and you feel more productive. But as the year wears on you begin to feel as if a great weight is coming down on your shoulders. Doing it regularly will ensure that you remain productive all year round. Don’t just do it once a year do it once a month.

When it comes to your own desk, you should really be straightening it up once a week. People often underestimate how quickly things can build up.

How will you straighten up your office this year?