Every day it is not unlikely to be stressed out with the many challenges in life we encounter, especially these days the covid-19 pandemic is still around. The “new normal” that we have today is not the one we used to have. So, we have to do something to reduce stress in our everyday lives. Stress as reported originated from the environment then it became personal and how an individual reacts to a given bad situation psychologically and physiologically or emotionally. It also involves how the individual’s coping mechanism will work to respond to a given bad situation.  

Stress Defined

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defined stress as “

a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” A simpler definition is given from Longman Dictionary. Stress is “continuous feelings of worry about your work or personal life, that prevent you from relaxing.” In short, stress can come from within an individual or from the environment where dreadful situations may come from. 

Signs of Stress 

According to an online journal, there are symptoms of stress when an individual responds to a given unacceptable situation resulting in behavioral symptoms such as: 

● Irritability 

● Fatigue 

● Anxiety 

● Lack of purpose 

● Relationship troubles 

These are the feelings of an individual experiencing stress. Other symptoms may be physical such as: 

● Headache 

● Palpitations 

● Nausea 

● Frequent colds or flu. 

● Skin problems 

● Sleeping problems 

A stressed-out individual also shows behavioral reactions such as: 

● Unmotivated 

● Tearful 

● Aggressive 

● Poor appetite 

● Accident-prone 

The way a person thinks can also show stress, for example, they cannot concentrate on something and problem-solving ability is hampered. 

With the symptoms and signs of stress being manifested, certain adverse effects may result from it. The American Psychological Association has reported in its online article that “stress affects all systems of the body, even bowel movement and in women, stress can even reduce sexual desire. 

Situations that Trigger Stress

● Inability to adapt to sudden changes 

● Overwhelmed by technology such as using smartphones or computer 

● Financial worries 

● Experiencing a major event such as the loss of a family member 

● Performing many roles such as mother, worker, caring for old parents 

One extrinsic stressor is having a desk that is cluttered and dirty has some negative effects such as stress and anxiety. Stress too can cause businesses a large amount of money for health care costs. The Harvard Business Review’s online article asserts that our brain is also affected by untidy and cluttered desks. Therefore, organization and being neat is advantageous to our brain. As such, when our desks are tidied up, we can focus more on our work and we can process information that will increase our productivity. Some research also found that it may be possible that desks that are cluttered, may have employees working in lesser time and have “poor eating choices” during breaks. 

Having also an unorganized workstation or desks may affect our mental health as in triggering stress that can lead to depression. Moreover, research also found that even employee relationships can be damaged by a messy workplace. Another study shows that those with cluttered desks were thought to be less patient and less agreeable. As a result, other employees can have negative impressions of those with untidy desks and may also affect their career. 

Stress Management 

 There are many ways we can avoid being stressed out, especially in the workplace.

● First off, we can regularly do cleaning and decluttering of our desks and organize files that have been stacked for ages on our desks. 

● Establish a “clean up” day with your co-workers at least once a week. It’s better to clean with everybody doing their share of cleaning. When it becomes habitual, the action itself could foster good relationships with others.

● Coordinate with other workers that could help to tidy up your files on your computer. The IT department will be very helpful. This will shorten the time to look for computer files and will also increase efficiency and productivity.

● Some office furniture may be needed for confidential or important files that should be stored in a file cabinet. Having one file cabinet not only makes your desk neat but also

gives protection to your files against loss or damage. And you can easily find a 

particular file once your documents are neatly arranged and organized inside the file cabinet.

With some resourcefulness and creativity, your worry and stress will go away if you seriously commit yourself to clean, neat, and orderly desks at home or in the office.

A Brief Backgrounder on File Cabinets

One of the most useful pieces of home office furniture is the file cabinet. Surprisingly, the development of file cabinets can be traced back to the 1800s according to an online source. Before file cabinets were developed, it was believed that papers or documents were stored and filed on shelves, boxes, and drawers.

As businesses grew, the demand for more organized filing systems rose that will allow easier access to files and specified information. In those times too, document filing required putting documents in bundles and then stored in boxes and on shelves. However, there was difficulty when documents would have to be retrieved from the bundles.

Today, filing cabinets are produced according to the demands of consumers and are designed to meet the functional needs of businesses and employees. At FlexiSpot, there are filing cabinets that are very functional and have unique features that an ordinary file cabinet does not have. An example of a very functional file cabinet is the Mobile File Cabinet with Lock 001.

Smart Features of the File Cabinet

This mobile cabinet has nice features. There are two stationery drawers with a bonus pencil tray, and one filing drawer for letter-size or legal-size hanging file folders. It is also durable as it is made of steel with a loading capacity of up to 330 lbs. It is easy to assemble and one lock can secure all three drawers that ensure protection for the files and documents. It is awesome, isn’t it?