National Clean Off Your Desk Day

National Clean Off Your Desk Day is to prepare your workspace for the New Year holiday by getting old things off with a good start.  This day is celebrated on the second Monday in January.  This year, it's January 10.  Furthermore, a clean desk helps you focus on and work more efficiently. Moreover, when we say clean we do not just mean messy.  That is right, your computer screen counts too.  Arrange those files into a nice, neat folder!

National Clean Off Your Desk Day Origin

Clean your desk day is designed to herald the arrival of warmer climates and early spring, the time of year many of us associate cleaning and saying no to the things we do.  We do not want or need to use it anymore.

This is a day to make sure you start the New Year with a clear head and a clean, organized desk.  If there is trash everywhere and piles of papers are rampant, it's not only more difficult to find what you need, but there's also the risk of losing important things.  Tidying up is a great habit to have, and your Desk Cleanup Day could be the start of a whole new attitude toward tidying, filing, and getting rid of clutter.

Stress is a common phenomenon in today's society and working in an open, clean, bright space has been shown to promote serenity and calm.  What is better than getting back to work on a dreary Monday morning to find a pristine workstation with no trash or paperwork in sight?

However, what are the origins of the modern desk?  In addition, why is it a problem?

The word desk comes from the Latin word desk, meaning "a table on which you write" and was first coined in the mid-14th century. During the middle Ages, people barely mentioned it to the “desk,” since most of the population works on the land.  The only people who can write are legal experts and clerics.

However, in the early eighteenth century, the term table was found common currency.  It is not only a feature in more and more workplaces but also homes.  The head of the household will use their desk as a place to do administrative work, such as preparing accounts or writing letters.

Tables, however, do not have a single origin.  Some manufacturers have created writing boards called writing boards, which have a board that is folded to provide a writing surface.  The others were more like cabinets - what we might today call a French office.

By the early 19th century, however, all of these items were virtually identical, with relatively few people distinguishing between them.  Some have drawers underneath to store papers, while others stand on their feet, providing users with space to put their feet up.

As business and commercial needs become more complex, desk management issues come to the fore.  People need the right office space for the organization they need without compromising their productivity.  It is difficult to come up with effective solutions.  Until the PC emerged, the best that manufacturers could do was give people extra drawers.

Clean Off Your Desk Day has a unique connection to today's office culture.  Research shows that people do and feel less stressed when their desks are clean and tidy.  It helps support health and makes long days at the office more bearable.

How to observe Clean off Your Desk Day

Clean Your Desk Day is all about focusing on and getting down to getting rid of your office clutter and creating a cleaner, more organized workspace.  Does your desk have papers?  Does your workspace have any junk?  Are you wallowing in things you do not even need?

Now is the time to put anything you do not want in the trash, to recycle, and get organized.  Checking out your desk creates a more pleasant and productive work environment and saves you time when your boss asks for a file or you need a pen or a stapler.

This is a day to celebrate with others, so do not be afraid to get your coworkers involved and make the occasion fun.  Tidying up can seem like a tedious chore, but if everyone is onboard, there is no reason why you cannot create a little excitement and enjoyment during the process.

Why do not spice things up with a playlist to keep you motivated or organize games to encourage faster cleanup?  Those who work in schools and colleges can also celebrate by getting the students involved and take part in a giant decoding game.

If you are a more intellectual thinker, you can use this day to educate yourself about the benefits of keeping your office space as tidy as possible.  You can learn about how it affects worker welfare and increases overall productivity at your business.  You could even take the opportunity to write an internal memo on the matter or post pictures of your coworker's clean and tidy desk on social media.

Clean off Your Desk Day is also an opportunity for all those who work from home to clean up their home offices and showcase new ways to enhance their work productivity.  Start by clearing clutter from your desk and making a list of things, such as family photos, that you want to keep. Then, move on to incorporating other elements that will help keep things neat and organized in the weeks and months to come.  Install new cabinets, install new drawers, or even go paperless.

Do you wish you had a cleaner desk to feel less stressed?  If that is the case, then Clean off Your Desk Day could be the perfect opportunity for you to make a difference in your setup.