How to Reorganize and Decorate Your Desk

Most of us use a desk for…everything. Watching videos, playing games, doing hobbies, finishing homework. Desks tend to get cluttered easy, but with some good organization and decoration it becomes easier to direct your focus to the right things!

Cleaning

When cleaning, it helps to start with one place at a time. Try just doing one desk drawer or picking up one type of supply. You don’t even have to clean everything up in one sitting, you can do it over a day, over a week, etc.

Putting markers back in boxes, stacking papers, and throwing away scraps are good ways to start that aren’t too overwhelming. Do whatever works for you!

When deciding whether something should be thrown away, consider whether you might need it later or if it has sentimental value to you. Loose papers and plastics should be recycled, if possible.

Now for the redecorating!

Storage

Desk drawers get easily cluttered. It helps to divide them with trays so you can easily sort, say, pencils from pens, or highlighters from erasers. If your desk doesn’t have drawers, keep your supplies in a bag or container that’s nearby and in view. If your supply storage is somewhere harder to reach, you might get lazy and just leave things out on the table!

If you have a lot of cables to your devices, try separating them using a cable organizer to avoid tangles.

Desktop

If you find that your desk gets a lot of scratches or marks, you can try getting a protective deskmat that can withstand some blows.

Lighting

Lighting is a great way to enhance the mood of your work area. Maybe you want to try hanging fairy lights for something cozier, or desk lamps. Different colors can also change the feel of your desk, so try them out!

Wall Decor

Besides just the area on your desk, the walls around or behind it can be decorated! Try hanging up posters, prints, or if you dabble in art, even drawings of your own. Just make sure that whatever you use to hang them off won’t damage your walls, and you’re good! You can also hang up objects or props you love, as well as plants (real or fake!).

Habits

Cleaning your desk one time won’t solve the problem forever. When you take something out, put it back when you’re done. Plus, doing small sweeps regularly to rid your desk of trash is easier than letting it pile up.

And that’s it! Redoing your desk can help motivate you to finish work and make the space feel more comfortable. If you want more ideas, try looking up references, as they’re a great place to start. Good luck!

“Marie Kondoing” Your Room

Now, I am going to assume that not everyone knows who Marie Kondo is. Marie Kondo is a Japanese woman who has various TV shows and books about organization. My mother, along with many other moms, has watched one of her shows at one point or another. So when I talk about ¨Marie Kondoing¨ my room, I mean cleaning and organizing my room. Even though, and I will admit, I don’t particularly like cleaning/organizing in my free time, I did when I was super bored one day. The results of my cleaning, I am extremely happy about. So here are the pros of cleaning my room:

  • Less cluttered. It doesn’t feel suffocating to be in my room.
  • More space. There is more space for future items, and just space. The space is so nice to have in a room.
  • Getting rid of stuff. I found so much stuff in my room that I honestly have no idea was there. I found the container of an old marker making machine, a rock, empty paint tubes and a 3D pen. Random stuff. 
  • Finding things that I like. I found a pair of new(ish) shoes from my mother and a coil of LED lights.
  • Decorating. I used the stuff I found to decorate my closet and my desk

AND FINALLY

  • It makes me feel more calm and mature. My room feels lighter and it makes me feel less anxious. It makes me feel more chill.

The method I used to clean my room was the Marie Kondo way, which involves feelings. What you do is hold up each item and ask yourself, ¨Does this bring me joy? Does it have a purpose or a reason?¨ Doing this, I realized how much stuff I had that was useless and brought me no joy whatsoever. 

My now clean room makes me feel ready for the school year and all the stress that comes with it. I really recommend cleaning your room for a less cluttered mind and a more calm mindset. 

Books by Marie Kondo are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.