Office minimalism refers to a clutter-free office that contributes to an efficient and productive work environment. This should start on your desk and flow to the entire workplace. Your things should be organized, so you will not have a hard time finding them when you need them.
Also, your equipment and tools in the working area must be set up ergonomically. Often, workers prefer to be minimalist because this offers easier workflow management.
What Is an Office Minimalism Work Environment?
Minimalism comes with different definitions, especially when it comes to the working environment. It is generally characterized by a space that is free from distractions and unnecessary clutter.
Its primary goal is to promote productivity. Others believed that being a minimalist may refer to having only the things that you need. Removing the items that you don't need would probably make you feel more focused throughout your workday.
In the workplace, a single definition is not enough to define how office minimalism works. For some, the ultimate minimalist workspace has fewer tools and equipment in the working area. But how can you work without these essential items?
It is essential that we must consider the requirements for operating correctly and what is necessary for your work. It is also imperative that we streamline our job to come up with the minimum and maximum requirements. This way, we can not only achieve better work results, but we can also save resources.
Simple Tips to Keep Things at a Minimum
In reality, we don't need a minimum setup; we need to determine our minimum needs. Of course, each person’s work requirements may vary, and we need to identify only those suitable for us.
Here are some of the few tips that can make the workspace as minimalist as possible.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Clutter
A way to start creating a minimalist workspace is to get rid of the unnecessary clutter on your desk or workstation. Every organization must invest in quality storage solutions as they will help to declutter our space. Remember to choose storage items that should not take up massive space in your work environment.
Check for the Things That You Can't Work Without
The initial step to minimalism is to discard items that are not needed and keep only those things that are essential. Some things, of course, will be necessary for work.
For instance, a computer is a must-have to do typing, preparing reports, correspondence, and other critical tasks. Identify these things and make sure to have them in the workplace. Always keep in mind that you should not spend money on buying unnecessary items in the working area. They will add clutter and may affect the quality of your work performance (yes, you must fight that Amazon ‘buy now’ addiction that we all are getting used to).
Limit some items and stick with those which you are going to use. For example, instead of having a full box of paper clips with 100 pieces, choose to hold only 10 to 20 pieces, and keep them in your pen holder or desk drawer. You won't use them all at the same time anyway, so it is better to keep at a minimum level so that it won't add to your clutter. Remember that often, depending on situations, the less is better.
Make Your Filing Online
Maybe you have already moved online and don’t even need those paperclips at all. Hard copies of your files can be bulky and may consume a significant space in the working area. You can save those files as soft copy either locally on your computer or with online storage (which is getting more and more common and makes it very easy to share). Make a backup on the file if you are worried about losing them.
Making your stuff digitally available makes it easier to be searched rather than filing. Should you still need to create the necessary files that need to be printed and presented? Apply a retention period and make sure that you purge every 3 or 6 months to declutter the files.
Office Minimalism: Eliminate, Optimize, Automate & Outsource
Minimalism not only works for the office equipment but also in our daily tasks at work. Some tasks need to be streamlined to make the work of an employee more efficient.
Eliminate
All of us have a lot of tasks in our hands. Even though we may be busy, we don’t need to be overwhelmed. We need to analyze the benefits and value of every task so that we can have the right focus on each one.
Each task must add value to your work. While analyzing what needs to be done, it is essential that we carefully check which tasks need to be discarded.
As you go along, you will be used to making an analysis, and it will be easier for you to say no when an unnecessary task is being assigned.
Optimize
When it comes to identifying a specific task or a particular project, we should optimize and learn how to make things work. Organize a meeting that can maximize your plan. In this way, proper procedures and systematic implementation will be discussed.
Automate
All in all, it is always better to keep things in automation mode. The person handling manual tasks should be offered a different function to improve the company’s and welfare.
Outsource
When we eliminate all the unnecessary tasks we can focus on what is important. So, understand which are important to keep and which can be eliminated.
Nowadays, outsourcing is an effective strategy that working professionals and business owners are utilizing. There are various platforms where you can find talented individuals who are willing to render services for a fee. Someone with these skills and areas of expertise could be given the task so everything can be done faster and more efficiently.
Invest in an Office Furniture That Is Simple and Functional
When you are thinking about going minimalist, your equipment should be functional and high quality. They should also offer various features as well as innovative design. It will make your office look good, but it will also help in productivity and promote overall well-being.
Using a sit-stand desk from AnthroDesk is one way to make a minimalist office look good. A standing desk is a space saver and has excellent benefits on your productivity level and mood.
Another way to keep your office clean is by organizing cables on your sit-stand desk with cable clips (for cable management). An LED Desk Lamp with a charging station is also practical, since it is multi-purpose and takes less space than a lamp and a charger together. The modern design will also keep your office design elegant looking.
Sit stand desks are not only a decorative feature in the office, but they can also help alleviate the back pain and prevent sedentary habits. This is because a sit-stand desk can be converted to a standing position while you are working. It can help fight the risk of cardiovascular disease as standing is like doing an exercise.
Conclusion
In all aspects, keeping your office as minimalistic as possible is not only an aesthetic choice, it actually has a functional and practical aspect as well. By simplifying ways and using only the necessary items in the workplace, it can make a big difference in promoting better efficiency and a greater productivity level.
However, keep in mind that going minimalistic overnight may not be such an achievable goal. It may also not be the smartest idea unless you don’t have stacks and stacks of papers, notebooks, files or anything that actually requires to go through them carefully and not throw anything away that might prove to be important later on.
So, before going for a full-blown minimalistic approach, we suggest dipping your toes first and start with a shelf or drawer or any part of your office that currently impedes you from concentrating or working efficiently.
As we mentioned before, make sure that what you keep has some sort of purpose. For example, it may not be extremely practical, but it has sentimental value, or you simply like it because it is beautiful, and it makes you feel good.
However, approach this step with caution and not fall into the trap of keeping everything. Try to be somewhat objective and critical of the items that you choose to keep for whatever reason.
Finally, don’t try to achieve everything right then and there. Minimalism is a lifestyle, and after many years of hoarding unnecessary things, it may not come as natural to you.
However, if you are persistent and committed to achieving a minimalist office, you will be successful in choosing to keep only the things you actually need.
