Every Day is Labor Day

Labor Day is upon us. Instead of just taking a day off at the end of summer to celebrate the work you do all year, use the long weekend as a reminder to get your life in balance. Being properly equipped to labor in your workspace helps you value your work every day, not just on the Labor Day holiday.

Whether your work involves big business deals or managing a household as a domestic engineer, getting organized will help you lay a foundation for efficiency, get bills paid on time, and find and manage elusive paperwork—all while saving your body from the strain associated with working at a desk or computer.

Desk Covered With Piles of Paper?

Stash papers in a desktop vertical sorter to reduce the footprint of horizontal piles on your desk. Thumbing through pages that are standing at attention is easier than sorting through a pile on your desk. Designate and label slots in the sorter for different types of paper: bills, invoices, action items, receipts, etc. Papers stay neater and are always at hand when it's time to deal with them.

Arranging Your Corner of the Universe

Place frequently used items (action files, bills to be paid, phone, stamps, scissors, your favorite fancy pen) within easy arms reach. Put everything else (archived files, a stockpile of printer paper, sticky notes and other office supplies) further away since you don't access them as often.

The New Meaning of "Single-File"

Get your filing system in order so you can easily move papers from vertical sorter to file cabinet once you've acted on them. If I have to choose one thing that will make filing easier it is straight line filing.

Most of us are used to having file tabs in the staggered fashion, but if you place all the tabs in a straight line you can see them more easily. This may seem counterintuitive because you don't see all the labels simultaneously but this is easily solved by running your thumb down the tabs to scan through them. This method helps you find things more quickly and prevents strain on your eyes; there's no more darting back and forth to look for a file. And, when you add new files your stagger pattern won't become chaos.

The Light at the End of the Carpal Tunnel

Organize your body for maximum efficiency by carefully examining how you sit at your computer. Adjust your chair height so your forearms are parallel to the ground, your elbows at a right angle directly beneath your shoulders, and your hands resting above your keyboard without bending the wrists. Your backrest should support your lower back and discourage a slumped posture; if it doesn't, find a back support that does. Tweaking your chair position may put pressure beneath your thighs. Try putting your feet up—not on the desk, but on a footrest (available from office supply stores). Now that you've assumed perfect posture, move your body. Good working posture gets even better when you take regular breaks away from your desk.

Snowballs in September?

Take time each day to keep your new systems in check. By keeping your papers and tasks from snowballing, you won't have late fees or missed appointments. Keeping your desk clear keeps your mind uncluttered as you work. Paying attention to your body while working will help keep you healthier so you can enjoy your leisure time and family activities when your labor is done.

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