Does a Cluttered Work Environment Impact Your Productivity?

Everyone's relationship with clutter looks different, and so does their ability to thrive among the chaos of a messy desk.

By Joshua Rapp Learn
Feb 14, 2024 2:00 PM
Messy and cluttered office desk
(Credit: thodonal88/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Anyone who spends their time in a messy office has likely heard it before: “I don’t know how you can work like this.”

And in some ways, it seems to make sense. Piles of junk have a way of capturing our attention, whether it’s the half dozen sticky notes, the empty coffee cup or the collection of bobbleheads behind your laptop. Then again, others swear they can’t operate without the pile of business cards and scores of open browser tabs. Some of us thrive in chaos.

But what does the science say about clutter and productivity? Does a clean, orderly environment produce good worker bees? Ultimately, that depends on whether you think it does or not, says Sabine Kastner, a neuroscientist at Princeton University.

“How a person deals with clutter depends a lot on how that individual’s attention system is set up to deal with clutter,” she says. “Each brain is different.”

How Do Our Brains Process Clutter?

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.