At my home, it’s an ongoing process of purging unwanted and unnecessary stuff and in particular- knick knacks. Travel souvenirs, gifts, figurines, collectables and pieces of my childhood. After years of hoarding these sorts of items, I now find that most are unwanted dust gatherers that cause me additional work and anxiety.
However, I thought it was about time I wrote about an area of my life that isn’t minimalist but where the dreaded knick knacks are rife… My desk at the office. At home I find these sorts of items and figurines equate to unwanted clutter. But at work I feel differently and I thought it was about time I asked myself why.
I like to treat my home as my sanctuary. Now days I like it to be uncluttered and minimalist as this is how I like home to be, a peaceful place of solace. On the other hand, the office I work in is is highly stressful environment but I seem to take comfort in having knick knacks on my desk. Essentially any form of non-work related items as reminders of travel or just small things that I happen to like. These items make me smile and whist I do not like a cluttered desk (I try to keep it tidy) I enjoy these small items that can provide me some temporary stress relief.
Some of the items I have on my office desk:
- Stickers
- Small figurines of characters and animals
- A plant
- Photos
- Teacup and saucer
Perhaps in this instance where I’m unable to rid myself of a stressful workload, I can find some form of relief in plastic figurines and characters that line my computer screen. Not that I would have them in my home, but I think that maybe the office might be the exception to the rule. Maybe sometimes ‘stuff’ can bring us comfort and relief when getting rid of what is truly causing us stress isn’t an option.
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t exactly gone crazy with the number of knick knacks I have on my desk as there’s still plenty of space. In this instance it’s not about having lots, but just a few items that are a little bit of silliness and fun to take the edge off a hard day at the office. They also become a great topic of conversation within the office and whenever someone else comes to my desk, particularly items I have brought back from my travels (no, not that many don’t worry).
So, perhaps there are situations where ‘stuff’ isn’t always the enemy and maybe in the right doses and correct situations it can in fact bring comfort. I think, in this instance the right amount it key as a few items that bring ease to a stressful day are worth it. My desk my not be minimalist, but it sure is a hell of a lot more pleasant to work at.
Do you have an exception to your rule?
This is Minimalism 