Eliminate mess stress - Shape your Life

You might justify your messy office as a sign of creativity. But in reality, a chaotic workspace can cause great stress and stifle productivity, says Tern Levine, a professional coach in North Wales, Pa. (ComprehensiveCoachingU.com). Some people spend as much as 150 hours a year -- that's nearly four workweeks -- looking for lost items in their office, she says, Here are ways to de-stress common trouble spots:

* Desktop Clear everything off your desk. Toss out unnecessary items, and store those you use only occasionally in drawers and cabinets. Keep just the stuff you need at your fingertips.

* File cabinets Purge any papers you know you'll never need again or whose contents can be retrieved elsewhere, such as from e-mail. Then, for the papers that remain, create a single -- and simple -- filing system.

* In-box Make an immediate decision on every paper that crosses your desk: Act on it, file it, toss it or pass it along. Once a week, review each trouble spot and make sure everything is still clear.

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