Minimalist Desktop Setups For Saving Space
A minimalist workspace can be incredibly beneficial to your productivity. However, it's not just what's physically around you on your desk, but what's on your desktop as well. It's easy for the desktop on your computer to become cluttered and disorganized.
When you spend hours working, even the small details can make a significant impact. It can be hard to keep track of everything with all the folders, apps, and documents you have to use throughout a workday. Taking a minimalist approach can make your life much easier.
We are going to go over the benefits of a tidy desktop. You will also find out how to clean off your desktop to best fit your workflow.
Keep reading for more.
Benefits Of A Minimalist Desktop
You may think organizing your desktop won't have a noticeable impact. However, don't underestimate how the space you're in can affect your productivity. There is a lot of research to suggest a clean workspace is essential.
One study found that your work environment has a consistent and legitimate influence on your performance. Researchers found that having a good workspace design can decrease stress and anxiety. A lack of clutter was also a huge timesaver. Looking for papers and office supplies results in around four hours of lost productivity a week—per person.
The most productive people figure out how to organize and set up their workspaces to get tasks done quickly and efficiently. When your workspace is organized, it will improve your time management. While it does take some time upfront to declutter, it can save even more time down the road.
Once your desktop is organized, you will be able to find every document without getting frustrated. It may also spare you embarrassment if you are with your boss or in a meeting. Nothing is worse than the feeling of not being prepared.
The phrase "Out of sight, out of mind" is commonly said for a reason. It can be easy to forget when there is no visual cue for something you need to do. When your work is organized on your desktop, it can help you remember what needs to get done.
Bringing order to your workspace can set you up for career success. You will be more likely to accomplish daily goals as well as long-term career goals. The best way to see your desktop is to have it at eye level and not be hunched over your screen. A ceiling mount for a tablet can be helpful for maintaining good posture. It also allows you to be hands-free and doesn’t take up space on your desk.
How To Clean-Up Your Desktop
There are many things you can do to clean up your desktop. When it comes to organizing, it depends on what type of computer you have: Mac or Windows.
However, you can organize everything saved to the desktop in files no matter which software you use. You can start with a simple desktop wallpaper that's lightly colored. This background will make it easy to see things on the desktop. You can also make files for every document, picture, video you save on your desktop.
Here are a few simple steps you can take to declutter the desktop for your specific computer:
Organizing Using Windows
The first thing you can do is hide your desktop icons. You just right-click on an empty area of the desktop and go to view. Find the sub-menu and uncheck the option that says, “Show desktop icons.”
You can also auto-hide the taskbar by opening the settings and going to personalizations. From there, you can select the taskbar tab and choose to auto-hide in desktop mode.
In the overflow menu, hide system tray icons. The system tray will always display the date and time, but your other icons may be hidden using the overflow menu. Since the taskbar appears when you move your mouse over it, it's helpful to keep the clutter concealed.
Organizing Using Mac
While Apple has done a lot to keep the Mac desktop clean and uncluttered, you can still take more steps to simplify it further.
All those shortcuts and folders can almost glare at you when you first start your computer. You can get a head start on decluttering by deleting unneeded stuff. Before you go to town deleting things you don't think you need, you may want to backup everything, just in case.
You can also declutter the menu bar at the top of your screen. You should reserve this line for items you are accessing on a regular basis. To do this, you need to hold down the Command (⌘) key and simultaneously click on what you want to remove. Next, drag the icon off of the menu bar and release it, and poof, it’s gone.
If your dock is full with a ton of extra programs, it may be challenging to find what you're looking for every day. By uncluttering the dock, you will be able to see the essential programs that you use.
You can clean off the dock by hovering over an icon and right-clicking to access the menu. Then, go to "Options" and click on "Remove from dock." As long as your computer program isn't getting in the way, it should disappear.
Auto-Hide Instructions
You can also auto-hide the dock to get more screen space. The dock is usually locked to the bottom of your screen. When you hide it, you won't see it until you need something. When you hover at the bottom of your screen, it will pop back up.
Here are the instructions to auto-hide your dock:
- Select "System Preferences."
- Go to the "Dock" section.
- A list of checkboxes should be at the bottom of the window. Check the box next to the option that says "Automatically hide and show the Dock." This selection should make the dock vanish until you hover at the bottom of the screen.
Tips To Improve Your Workspace
Once your desktop is taken care of, it's time to think about your actual workspace. You'll want to organize and remove clutter from your desk. Don't forget to examine the environment around your desk as well.
There are many solutions out there for a minimalist desk. One option is SkyFloat, which can hold tablets of all sizes. If you're over dealing with the clutter of phone stands, cables, and the space they take up on your desk, SkyFloat is for you. It uses a magnetic ceiling mount and a telescopic arm to hold your tablet or phone at eye level above your desk.
You'll want to remove anything from your desk that isn't useful. Otherwise, it's just there taking up space and collecting dust. If you want something nice to look at, consider a small plant. A plant can also improve productivity and happiness.
Scientists discovered that indoor plants could prevent fatigue when working. Even just looking at a window at greenery can have a stimulating effect on your brain. Plants like lilies can be great office plants since they require only a little sunlight.
Speaking of sunlight, you also want to consider the lighting by your desk. The quality of the light may be impacting your mood. Overhead fluorescent lights could be straining your eyes and causing stress. The best kind of light is natural light.
Researchers found that people who have more exposure to natural light at work sleep better. It also improved office morale and decreased anxiety levels. If you don't have access to a window, try switching your office lightbulbs to resemble natural light.
Nice and Neat
When you have an organized desktop and workspace, you will feel so much better. You will be able to find what you need with ease and be more productive. You can keep your desk clutter-free, thanks to things like SkyFloat.
Sources:
The Negative Relationship Between a Messy Desk and Productivity | Inc
Benefits of indoor plants on attention capacity in an office setting | Science Direct
