Life Made Easy - Edits Inc feature in Simply Her Magazine, August 2014 issue

To those who didn't manage to get a copy of the magazine, here's a summary of the three tips we dished out to Simply Her readers, so that they can keep their workspaces organized and feel energized the moment you walk into the office.

#1. Keep visual clutter to a minimum

Stationery, paperwork, electronics and personal items are the top culprits of messy desks. Your desk surface is not a storage space - anything you don't use daily should be cleared from it

Stationery: Keep one of each item that you use daily in your pen cup; put bulky items stationery in drawers. 

Paperwork: Have an inbox for all incoming items and empty it before leaving the office every day. File paperwork into ring binders and arrange them neatly under your desks or in cupboards. 

Electronics:  Place your desk phone on the opposite side of your writing hand. Tie up speaker, mouse, drawing-table or keyboard cables neatly. 

Personal items: Limit them to one section of your desk. When space runs out, remove an older item before adding something else, so you're making a conscious decision about which items to display.

#2: Don't let your feelings take over

It's natural to feel pain when getting rid of things, but don't focus on the loss. Ask yourself if an item helps you to achieve a goal like finishing work on time or feel happier about work. If not, discard it. 

Designate a box for things you're unsure about and revisit it in three months. If you haven't used the items at all, say goodbye to them. 

Take breaks if you have many items to purge - you may dump something you like or need when you're tired. 

#3: Make it a daily habit

The effort of tackling clutter can be a big psychological barrier, so we put it off and everything keeps piling up. Prevent this by taking five minutes at the end of every work day to clean up. If you take longer than five minutes, consider how and where you store items. They should be within easy reach so that return them to the right places quickly.