Whether your work-from-home arrangement is temporary or long-term, a clean workspace can be good for your mental health and well-being.
A clean workspace will help you stay healthy, while boosting work productivity and lowering stress.
Dividing your home between work and relaxation can be a challenge—but keeping your working area clean is one way to make that easier. This article discusses simple tips to keep your workspace tidy and functional.
Why It Matters
On-site offices and other workspaces are often cleaned daily, which means the home office could have more bacteria and germs. Furthermore, you may be sharing the space with family or friends and consuming more food and drinks while you work.
The average desk contains 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. Your keyboard and computer mouse can be some of the dirtiest items as a result of having unwashed hands and eating at your desk.
There’s an additional concern when it comes to bathrooms and working from home. According to Verizon, 90% of users admit to carrying their smartphones in the bathroom. That means your cellphone could be one of the dirtiest items that you carry around your home and other places.
Keep It Clean
Continue practicing good personal hygiene habits, and try to separate your home and work life. Develop healthy and clean remote working habits by trying the following tips:
- Avoid working from the kitchen. The kitchen is often one of the busiest and dirtiest rooms, so try to find a home workspace elsewhere. It’s also important to have a designated home workspace so you’re not logging on from the living room couch or your bed.
- Get adequate ventilation. Open your windows to let fresh air in, or consider HEPA air filters.
- Keep pets away from your computer and other parts of the workspace. Your items could quickly be covered with fur and dander.
- Avoid eating at your workspace. Crumbs are a common source of bacteria and can easily hide underneath papers and keyboards.
- Dust your work surface, keyboard, computer, monitors, lamp and any other workspace items lightly at least once a week.
- Declutter your workspace daily. It’s important to regularly remove items such as wastepaper and broken pens. It may be helpful to have a trash can nearby that is emptied daily. Clutter can increase your stress.
- Wipe down and disinfect surfaces a couple times each week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first using soap and water, and then a disinfectant. Additionally, alcohol-based wipes may be a better alternative for electronics.
- Stay organized. Once you’ve set up your workspace, take the time to keep items organized on shelves, in drawers or in other containers.
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Maintaining a tidy desk and a professional workstation, regardless of location, is key to staying productive during the workday. If you have concerns about your home workspace, talk with your manager.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional. © 2021 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.