(A January home and work space reset)
January always asks us to begin again.
Not loudly. Not dramatically.
But deliberately.
After weeks of celebrations, guests, gift-wrapping, and disrupted routines, our homes—much like our bodies—carry the residue of the holidays.
And nowhere is this more visible than in our workspaces: desks layered with unopened mail, chargers tangled like vines, notebooks half-used, coffee cups turned into pen holders.
A home and work space reset is not about perfection. It’s about restoring clarity.
Decluttering in January works differently from the dramatic purges we see online. It is slower, more intuitive. You notice what feels heavy. What feels unnecessary. What feels like it belongs to last year.
This might mean clearing a desk that has become a dumping ground for everything you didn’t have time to deal with in December. Reclaiming your work chair from its role as a clothes rack. Letting go of decor that once felt festive but now feels distracting.
When we reset our work spaces, we’re really resetting our attention. Fewer visual distractions create mental breathing room. Spaces begin to support us again instead of demanding something from us.
January doesn’t need grand renovations. Sometimes, it just needs us to ask: What can I remove so this space can work better for the life and work I’m returning to?
Studies in environmental psychology show that visual clutter increases stress and cognitive overload, making it harder to focus and make decisions.
In other words, what we see around us directly affects how well we think, work, and manage our energy.
The most sustainable way to declutter isn’t to do everything at once. Professional organizers recommend starting where friction shows up daily: surfaces we interact with constantly, like work desks, home office shelves, and digital-device stations.
These spaces carry disproportionate emotional weight because they shape our daily rhythms.
Rather than asking, “Do I need this?” a gentler question works better: “Does this support the way I work now?”
January is also a good time to acknowledge that our work lives evolve. Hybrid schedules, flexible hours, and shifting responsibilities mean our spaces need to evolve, too. Items that served us last year may no longer be aligned with our current pace or priorities.
Letting them go isn’t wasteful. It’s responsive.
The goal of a January reset is not emptiness, but ease. When work surfaces are calmer and storage is intentional, the mind follows.
The new year becomes less about forcing productivity and more about creating a space that helps you show up at your best.
Here’s a simple way to begin: Scan your work life, not just your desk
Before opening drawers, think about how your workday actually looks now. Are you fully remote?
Hybrid? Mostly on video calls? Do you still print documents?
Align your space with how you really work, not how you used to.
Define three categories: Keep, Release, Maybe This protects you from decision fatigue. Anything you haven’t used in six months and don’t see yourself using this year can go.
Maybe items go into a box you revisit in 30 days. If untouched then, they’re probably ready for release.
Tackle friction points first
Start with the areas that quietly slow you down:
• Desk surfaces that collect cables, receipts, and paperwork
• Shelves filled with outdated files and notebooks
• Storage drawers that make it hard to find what you need
n Maintain with simple systems
Use open trays, labeled folders, and clear containers so everything has a visible home. A 10-minute
reset at the end of the workday keeps clutter from returning.
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