Be honest… what does your workspace look like right now?
A teetering stack of notebooks on the corner of your desk?
Loose notes from a meeting mixed in with webinar scribbles?
A tripod balanced on top of a pile of folders?
Sticky notes everywhere… and none of them where you need them?
When you’re running a nutrition business, it’s no surprise your workspace gets messy. You’re juggling a lot and your desk often becomes the holding pen for all of it.
The problem? Physical clutter quietly drains your time and energy.
January is a perfect moment to reset. In my last post, we talked about digital decluttering – clearing your inbox, sorting your digital files, and simplifying your online world.
Now we’re taking it one step further and looking at your physical workspace. Because your environment has a huge impact on how you feel and how you work.
A clear and tidy physical workspace is just one of the foundations of being organised and organisation is a key pillar I often talk about when it comes to time management. So let’s get stuck in.
Why Your Physical Workspace Matters More Than You Think
How A Cluttered Workspace Wastes Time
A cluttered workspace isn’t just an eyesore – it’s a quiet productivity killer.
Think about how many times you’ve said:
- “Where did I put that form?”
- “I’m sure I printed that out…”
- “Which notebook did I write that idea in?”
Every time you stop to search for something, you’re losing focus and wasting precious minutes. Those micro-delays add up over a day, a week, a month.
On top of that, visual clutter = mental clutter.
When your desk is covered in paper, pens, and half-finished tasks, your brain is constantly processing it all in the background. It’s harder to drop into deep work, harder to feel “on top of things”, and much easier to drift into low-value tasks instead.
How Decluttering Helps With Time Management
A clear, intentional workspace doesn’t need to look like a Pinterest-perfect office. It just needs to be functional and calm. And when it is, you’ll notice:
- You find things faster: No more rummaging through piles of paper or opening three notebooks to find one idea. You know where things live.
- You stay more focused: Fewer visual distractions means your brain has less to process. It’s easier to concentrate on the task in front of you – whether that’s writing a blog, planning your week, or reviewing client notes.
- You feel less stressed: Clutter feeds that low-level “I’m behind” feeling. A clearer space often brings a clearer mind and more sense of control.
- You work more efficiently: When everything has a home, you can transition between tasks smoothly – from client calls to business owner time to content creation – without constantly rearranging your space.
- You feel more motivated: A tidy, intentional workspace actually makes you want to sit down and work. Which is especially helpful when you’re working from home and the sofa is calling.
Your Workspace – It’s More Than Just A Desk
Your “workspace” isn’t usually just a traditional office with a door and a big desk (though if you have that – lovely!). As a nutrition business owner working from home, it might look like:
- A home office or spare room
- A clinic room you use
- A shared coworking space
- The dining table you convert into a desk during the day
Regardless of where you work, it helps to think in zones rather than one big area:
- Laptop & main working area: Where your laptop lives and where you sit to do focused work.
- Paperwork area: Somewhere to keep physical files and paperwork. This might be a filing drawer, a shelf, or a filing box.
- Creative/content area: A small space or setup for filming videos or taking photos for content. This could be as simple as a tripod in the corner and a basket with accessories such as a tripod and ring light.
- Storage: Shelves, drawers, boxes, or a cupboard for things you don’t need regularly – extra stationery, tech, books, workshop materials, etc.
Once you understand your zones and their purpose, it becomes much easier to declutter and reorganise with intention.
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Declutter Your Workspace
You don’t need a full day to do this. You can work through these steps over a few days or weeks – the key is progress over perfection.
1. Clear Out the Clutter
This is your reset.
☑️ Remove everything from your desk that you don’t use daily. Create three piles: keep, move elsewhere, go.
☑️ Sort through paperwork and either shred, recycle or file:
☑️ Get rid of old notebooks, unused stationery, pens that don’t work, and expired sticky notes.
☑️ Declutter drawers – throw away or donate things you don’t need. Be honest: if you haven’t used it in the last year, will you really use it?
💡 Do a “first fast pass”. Rather than agonising over every single item, move quickly and trust your gut: yes/no. This is your Marie Kondo moment.
2. Organise Your Essentials
Now that you’ve removed the obvious clutter, decide what actually deserves a place in your workspace.
☑️ Decide what really needs to live on your desk. Think: laptop, notebook, planner, pen pot, water bottle. That’s it. Keep it minimal and focused on what you use every day.
☑️ Use drawer organisers for office supplies. Instead of a junk drawer, give everything a home – paperclips, sticky notes, highlighters, chargers.
☑️ Store frequently used documents in an easy-to-reach filing system. This might be a small desktop file, a magazine holder, or a drawer just for “current” items.
☑️ Label all folders so things are easy to find.
☑️ Create a simple in-tray. Any new paper comes here first – letters, forms, notes from a meeting. Then once a week you go through it and scan/act/file or shred. No more random piles.
3. Optimise for Efficiency & Comfort
Now let’s make your space work with you, not against you.
☑️ Set up a dedicated workspace. Even if it’s a corner of the dining table, treat it as your “office” during working hours.
☑️ Check the ergonomics
- Screen roughly at eye level
- Chair that supports your back
- Feet flat on the floor or on a footrest
- Decent lighting
☑️ Create a simple charging station. A spot where your laptop, phone, and iPad can charge without cables all over the place causing a hazard risk.
☑️ Keep your daily tools within easy reach
☑️ Add a touch of ambience. A small plant, a candle, or a photo can make your workspace feel inviting and personal (I have a photo of my niece Olivia) – just make sure it doesn’t turn into another pile.
4. Simple Systems to Keep Paper and Notes Under Control
This is where a lot of nutrition business owners get stuck: the never-ending paper and too many notebooks.
Set up a simple flow:
☑️ New paper → in-tray: Everything lands in the in-tray first. No random piles.
☑️ Weekly session: Block 15–20 minutes once a week to process the in-tray.
- If it needs action → add to your task system.
- If it needs keeping → file physically or scan and save digitally.
- If it doesn’t need anything → shred or recycle
☑️ Use one central notebook for business: Instead of ten half-used notebooks, pick one main business notebook. You can divide it into sections or use sticky tabs to mark pages.
Most of us are mainly online now, so your physical systems should align with your digital ones. If you haven’t read it yet, my digital declutter post will help you get your online world working alongside your physical workspace.
5. Maintain a Clutter-Free Routine
Decluttering once is great. Keeping it that way is where the real time savings happen.
☑️ Daily tidy-up: Spend 2–3 minutes daily tidying your workspace before you finish work. Put things back where they belong and clear the surface
☑️ Do a weekly desk reset: Remove any build-up of paper, refill supplies, wipe down surfaces, clear your in-tray.
☑️ Keep a minimalist mindset: Before you keep something, ask: “Is this genuinely useful, or am I keeping it out of guilt / habit?”
These tiny habits add up to a workspace that stays supportive all year, not just in January.
Workspace Ideas For Different Types Of Nutrition Business Owners
If You’re Mostly Online
If your work is mainly Zoom calls, online clients, and digital content:
- Focus on a clean backdrop for calls and content creation. This could be a blank wall, a plant, a simple shelf – or a virtual background if your space is shared or busy.
- Keep your mic, ring light, and tripod in a basket or crate nearby. That way you can set up for filming in minutes rather than turning your whole room upside down each time.
- Have a “client call kit” ready. A simple checklist or small tray with water, pen & notebook, headphones, any client notes you need for the day
The aim is to reduce friction so “I’ll just do that later” becomes “I can start straight away”.
If You Work Between Clinic and Home
Moving between spaces can easily create double clutter if you’re not intentional.
- Create a “clinic bag” system:
- One bag that holds all the essentials: laptop/iPad, charger, pens, notepad, handouts, business cards, etc.
- A folder or wallet for today’s client lists and any printed materials.
- Keep everything you need for the clinic in that bag when not in use. No more last-minute scrambling because something is on your home desk and not in your clinic room.
- Set up a small home base. A consistent spot at home where you always do admin and follow-up work, even if you’re not there every day. Keep it simple but organised.
If Your Desk Is Also the Dining Table
(This is me as a digital nomad!)
If you’re working from temporary spaces, Airbnbs, or your dining table, you can still have a “workspace” – it just needs to be portable.
- Use a basket or crate for your “office in a box”. Mine contains laptop & charger, laptop stand, mat and mouse, notebook & pen, highlighters, headphones, small mic, screen cloth and cleaner.
- At the start of the day: Take out your office in a box, set up your mini workstation, and mentally “step into work”.
- At the end of the day. Do an end-of-day reset: everything back in the box, box back on a shelf. Visual closure and no work clutter left staring at you all evening.
This is especially powerful for boundaries – it signals to your brain that work is done, even if you’re living and working in the same small space.
Action Plan
Here’s a quick, no-fuss way to get started based on optimising your physical workspace:
☑️ Choose your main workspace (desk, corner, table) and create your zones.
☑️ Do a fast declutter of your desk and drawers – remove anything you don’t use daily.
☑️ Set up essentials only on your desk and create an in-tray for new paper.
☑️ Create simple homes for client folders, papers, stationery, etc.
☑️ Pick one notebook for daily scribbles and notes.
☑️ Schedule a 5-10 minute weekly desk reset in your calendar.
You don’t have to do it all today. Pick one step and start there.
Final Thoughts
A clean, clutter-free workspace isn’t about being “perfect” or having an Instagram-worthy office. It’s about creating an environment that helps you:
➡️ Focus on what matters
➡️ Feel less stressed and more in control
➡️ Use your working hours more efficiently
➡️ And ultimately, spend more time on the work that grows your nutrition business
You absolutely do not need to overhaul everything in one day. Start small. Clear just the desk surface. Sort one drawer. Set up one new habit like a 2-minute end-of-day tidy.
Once your desk is feeling calmer, you can take the next step and tackle your digital world too – if you haven’t already, go back and read my Digital Declutter post to streamline your digital space so everything works together.
And if you’d like more practical systems, time management strategies, and behind-the-scenes tips to help you run a calmer, more efficient nutrition business…
👉 Join my newsletter for practical, bite-sized tips to help you run a calmer, more efficient nutrition business – with better systems and less stress.
