A happy worker is a good worker; when we’re happy, we work better and harder. There are many great steps employers can take to make their employees happy, but one of the easiest and most efficient is to ensure a clean and tidy workspace. A clean work space has >positive, powerful psychological effects that help us think more clearly, more efficiently, more safely and more happily.
What we perceive around us has a great impact on how we think. When we see something scary, we might jump or scream, and the adrenaline pumping through our bodies might make us think more quickly. On the flipside, if we’re relaxing at the cottage, enjoying the good life, our thoughts will be more calm, and we’ll feel at ease. The same is true for clutter; when the area around us is full of distractions, our thinking picks up these distractions and focuses on them. For clearer thinking, a clean space is best.
Efficient thinking also comes from a clean space. A 2011 study by researchers at Princeton showed that our visual cortex gets confused when there’s too much information that’s not relevant to the task at hand, so we get distracted, thinking there is something else to do. Clutter makes us focus on the wrong problem, so don’t dismiss the urge to tidy; do it right away!
Messes too big to clean yourself can come up, though. It’s important to remember the impact cleanliness can have on safety; when valuable health and safety equipment, like defibrillators, can’t be found because of clutter, someone’s life could well be in danger. Other messes that come with safety risks include slippery flooring and leaks. Commercial facilities cleaning services can help with the overwhelming number of messes that can occur in a workspace, and leave you feeling safe.
The most important thing that comes from all of this tidying is your happiness. By having a clear mind, efficient task completion, and a safe work environment, many stresses are taken off your back. When we can work without distraction, we accomplish more in a day, and the more we accomplish, the better we often feel. It’s equally important to bring these techniques into your home; quickly tidying your space every day, like making your bed every morning, will make you feel invigorated. Ease of mind will come when you live and work in an area with no clutter.
We’ve now seen that a clean space really does make for clear-headed, efficient, safe and happy people. There’s no doubt that when we feel like this we’re more productive, because we have so much less stress than in a cluttered area. That’s why it’s essential to spend the energy to have a clean space; in the end, it’s worth much more than what you have to put in.