TL;DR
Sort office mail as soon as it arrives and throw out the junk before it touches your desk. Remove outer envelopes from important mail and put it in one waiting area on your desk. Flip through publications right away, tear out the articles you want and keep them in a bag to read at lunch or at home.
Kathi,
I get so much mail at my office. What is the best way to sort through it and not have piles of mail overtaking my desk all of the time?
Leslie, Cardiff
Leslie,
As you receive mail, sort and toss immediately. Throw out every letter, flier or advertisement that you know is junk right away. Don’t let it touch your desk. Remove the outer envelopes from the important mail and put the letters in a designated waiting area on your desk. If you get numerous publications that you must read, flip through these quickly as they arrive and tear out the important articles. Put these loose articles in a basket or bag with a handle. When you take a lunch break or go home, your reading is ready to go with you and removed from your desk permanently. A few minutes each day will save you many hours of frustration each month.
Kathi is a professional organizer, image consultant and event planner based in San Diego California.
Please submit your questions to: [email protected].
San Diego Professional Organizer
Keep reading
- Eliminating Mail ClutterSort the mail the day it arrives and stop junk mail at the source.
- Paper OrganizationDecide on every paper as it arrives and keep an action file on your desk.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop mail from piling up on my desk?
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Sort and toss as soon as mail arrives. Throw out every letter, flier or ad you know is junk right away, so it never touches your desk. A few minutes a day will save you hours of frustration each month.
What should I do with important mail?
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Remove the outer envelopes and put the letters in one designated waiting area on your desk, so they are together and easy to act on.
How should I handle magazines and publications at work?
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Flip through them as they arrive and tear out the important articles. Put the loose articles in a basket or a bag with a handle, so your reading goes with you at lunch or when you head home and leaves your desk for good.
