Top 10 Stationery Items To Get Organised

Spring is in the air, so take a fresh look at your office. Do you need some stationery kit to sort out your working day?

As it’s National Stationery Week and Get Organised Day, we’ve chosen some practical items, from handy pens and desktop accessories to files, to make your life easier.

1 Find the right pen for the job. Try rollerball pens with free-flowing, fade-resistant ink. No more frantic scratching at the paper, so you can get your writing rolling.

2 Get more out of brainstorming with Post-it notes. They’re not simply for reminders to self or colleagues. Stick them on wall planners to track a process or try out multiple ideas. (Be super-efficient with Z-notes in a desk dispenser.)

3 Use separate letter trays for urgent and ‘read later’ documents. Choose trays that give you enough space to reach into them comfortably, and that you can label (in case you forget what they are meant for – for tips on that see 10).

4 Round up wandering stationery in a desktop organiser. Create a home for paper clips, pencils, USB sticks, and chewed erasers – and if it’s in clear plastic you can find that bit of chocolate instantly too.

5 Use a whiteboard to organise and tick off tasks. Except that your whiteboard can be magenta or lime green, too, to spice up your working day.

6 Keep a separate notebook for each of your projects. With a pack of A5 multicoloured notebooks you can identify the relevant one immediately, so there’s no excuse for dawdling.

7 Get a handle on bulky documents with lever arch files. Not only are they high capacity, the laminated finish should resist sticky fingerprints when you’re munching your lunchtime sandwich.

8 Use expanding organisers for quick filing. The compartments have index tabs, so you won’t be all fingers and thumbs when you’re searching for documents.

9 Clear non-essential papers into box transfer files. They’re quick to assemble and very versatile because you can archive foolscap, folio or legal-size documents.

10 Read the label but create your own with a label maker. Whether they’re for shelving or storage boxes, you can customise your labels with a choice of fonts and type size.