We’ve all likely heard that your work space reflects your state of mind. There are many studies in psychology that prove that there is a correlation between a clean space and overall productivity. However, that doesn’t mean much without an explanation on how exactly a clean space facilitates productivity. With this in mind, here are some of the ways that a clean space helps you become a more productive blogger.
It Boosts Focus
A clean office holds less distractions, which not only helps you focus on the task at hand, but it also gives you a sense of personal control over your environment. A messy office space holds far too many distractions and it also threatens your sense of control over your environment. This was proven by a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research wherein 103 participants were split in two groups.
The first group was asked to sit in a clean room, while the other group was made to sit in a cluttered office space. Both groups were asked to work on an unsolvable puzzle. The study found that those who sat in a clean space were able to focus on the task for 1,117 seconds, while the other group spent only 669 seconds on the task.
It Facilitates Creativity
It should be noted that an empty space is not the same as a clean space. A clean space has clutter, except that it’s organized. An empty space can be just as detrimental to your creativity, because an empty space robs you or any stimulus and inspiration.
The difference lies in being able to perceive your task on a much larger scale. You can organize your space by keeping anything that you don’t immediately need or regularly use. You can file non-urgent documents in a “later” basket so you’re always aware of what your next tasks will be. This is especially important, since most bloggers deal with writer’s block a lot.
A Clean Space Helps You Stay Healthy
Health is an important aspect of work that many people overlook. A clean space not only helps you reduce stress by decluttering, but it also helps you avoid any medical health problems that could arise from a dirty environment. It’s also for this reason that most offices hire cleaners and mold remediation experts to help maintain a safe and healthy environment for their workers.
Even people who claim to be used to the clutter lose a lot of their productivity in a messy office. Watching your work files pile up on your desk can easily make your task seem more arduous than it actually is, and the anxiety from not being able to start work on those tasks robs you of focus that you could use for your current task.
Even though people have varying tolerance levels for clutter, the fact remains that by neglecting the maintenance of your home office, you’re impeding your potential for productivity. This is especially important considering that freelancing is likely going to be the future of working from home.
