Easy Ways to Organise Your Digital Workspace

It can be hard to stay productive when your workspace is a cluttered, unorganised mess. This applies just as strongly to your digital workspace as it does to a physical one. A clean and organised digital space can make all the difference by ensuring your work processes are more efficient, eliminating distractions, and helping you to declutter mentally. 

 

Here are four of our favourite tips to help you organise your digital workspace and keep it running like a well-oiled machine. 

Staying on top of emails and all the important actions hidden within them can seem like a full-time job on its own, but it’s something everyone can master. ‘Inbox Zero’ is a strategy favoured by many, which would have you immediately deleting, forwarding or replying to emails that can be dealt with quickly, then filing anything else away for review at a regularly arranged time. 

 

Even if you don’t like the sound of Inbox Zero, its individual aspects are insightful. Create regular windows for yourself to review emails and list actions, make sure something useful is done with every email, and try to file where possible. 

Files and documents can get out of hand very quickly. Having a structured filing system with conventional naming standards is the best thing you can do to have everything you need reachable behind just a few clicks. 

 

It will vary depending on the type of work you do, but try organising your files by project, client, department, date, or even file type. You’ll then want sub-folders to break those down further. If everything has a concise and descriptive file name too, you’ll never waste time opening documents to jog your memory of what’s inside. 

 

Remember to pin your frequently used folders and store old files in an archive folder – or delete them if appropriate. It’s simple stuff but makes such a big difference, as file management often goes neglected. 

Tools like Trello, Basecamp, Slack, Microsoft Planner and the countless similar platforms out there act as neat little digital hubs where you can really get to grips with your work. They’ll let you clearly see all of your assigned tasks, what’s due when, and any related documents, notes and messages from colleagues all in one place. No more clogging up your calendar with to-dos, trawling through old email threads or misplacing post-it notes! 

 

Tools like these help you to clearly visualise what’s going on in the workplace, on what schedule, and who is responsible for what. These tools are essential for teams who work digitally and love to collaborate but struggle to organise their workloads. 

Although often underrated, browser bookmarks can be nifty little tools for maximising organisation and productivity. Create bookmarks for the essential sites that you visit regularly for work, and remove any that cause visual clutter or might lead to procrastination. 

 

If your browser of choice allows, complement your core bookmarks by sorting the rest into folders that apply to specific tasks, such as content creation resources, market research sites, analytical tools – you get the idea. Bookmarks will keep you on task, save you time, and tidy up your screen more than expected. 

For clear, bespoke and actionable advice that will help you to grow your business in a sustainable way, call our Northern office on 01482 235575, our London office on 0207 885 0605 or fill in the contact form below.