This is an insightful new book written by two college professors who have studied hoarding for 20 years. They share stories about real people and try to explain the reasons behind this behavior. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

LOS ANGELES, Mar 08, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) The month of March brings with it the official start of spring — a season associated with renewal and romance, and, on a less lyrical level — with dusting, scrubbing, and otherwise engaging in the roll-up-your-sleeves ritual known as spring cleaning. While heavy-duty housework hardly sounds inviting, Health Net, Inc. wants to spread the word that spring cleaning not only results in a tidy abode, but also brings with it mental health benefits.

Studies have shown that a dirty, disorganized home can harbor health threats in the form of mold, bacteria and clutter-caused injuries, but such an environment also can negatively impact mental health, explains Ian Shaffer, M.D., chief medical officer of MHN, Health Net’s behavioral health subsidiary. “A thorough spring cleaning definitely brings with it a feel-good sense of satisfaction,” he adds, “and the physical exertion of dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing has been found to reduce stress and anxiety.”

I just came across another useful tool to reduce your paper clutter and help you PRINT LESS!  You’ll also lower spending on ink toner and help save a lot of trees.  GreenPrint is a simple-to-use software that eliminates unwanted pages and reduces printing by 17 percent or more.  The application lets you preview documents and has options for deleting text, copy or entire pages before you hit print.  Use it at home or at work.  Check out the enterprise version for your business.

Ask yourself the following questions to find out if you may be wasting time getting your daily fix of caffeine each morning:

Are you one of the 52% of Americans over the age of eighteen that drink coffee every morning? 

Are you drinking coffee each morning because you “need” it to increase your productivity? 

Do you spend time each morning ordering your caffeine fix from the local coffee shop down the block?

Have you ever thought about making coffee at home in the morning but then decided it would be easier or quicker to get it ready-made from a coffee shop instead?

Have you ever remarked to a co-worker that you didn’t get your coffee that morning and will be more productive once you get a cup?

If you answered YES to any of these questions then you should keep reading.  According to an online article about Coffee Facts and Statistics, “Coffee drinkers that get a cup to go from a local coffeehouse before work will wait in line nearly forty-five hours each year!” Whoa, that is ALOT of time.  That is nearly one hour each week that you may be spending in line and waiting “to be productive”!

Instead of standing in line and wasting all that time each day, try using a coffee maker at your home or office.  To ensure you are not wasting valuable time that I know you could use for better things, make sure the coffee maker you have includes a timer and delayed start option.  Whether you are planning to drink coffee at home or at the office, take just 2 minutes at the end of your day (while you still have energy flowing) to prepare the coffee maker for the following morning.  Then set the timer and delayed start option for the specific time you’d like to have your caffeine fix the next day.

Once you start having coffee waiting for you at the time you set, you’ll start saving time and gain productivity easily.  Try it tomorrow morning and see if it helps you save time!

With Americans working an average of 1,797 hours each year, it’s no wonder our desks have become our home away from home. 

The most interesting items seem to accumulate on desktops in our offices.  Some common sights include framed photos of the family dog, enough Starbucks mugs to open an in-office coffee shop, and all those useless stress balls and glow-in-the-dark pens that make their way back from tradeshows.  Without a doubt, however, the most common office eye sore is paper! 

Stacks and stacks of paper form those abstract masses setting upon our desktops.  For some people, creativity and productivity thrive from beneath the piles, while for others it spells disaster.  Desktop clutter is a common culprit of reduced productivity, lost documents, and missed deadlines.  No matter what, a messy desk may send the wrong signal to those around you.

With many companies going through layoffs, it may be the right time to clear out your clutter and start making a better impression.  Here’s an interesting article from MSNBC.com that talks more about decluttering your workspace.  You can even take their “Do You Need to Declutter?” quiz!

(by Lisa Hartig)