Psychiatrist reveals what your desk says about you

Whether you’re back to the office or you’re still working out of your spare room, we spend so much time sat at our desks that they become a part of your personality.

Office furniture site, Furniture At Work, worked with Dr. Debanjan Banerjee, Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, to reveal the four most common desk types and what they say about the people who sit at them.

1. The tidy, minimalist desk

Owners of desks that are practically devoid of clutter and contain only the essentials (keyboard, mouse, monitor, a notepad maybe) are perceived to be disciplined, conscientious, and cautious people who like planning and structure. On the other hand, these people are also perceived as lacking the creativity or personality that people with messy desks have.

2. The messy and chaotic desk

A desk that has chaos written all over it, littered with papers, meeting notes, cables, printouts, stationery, leftovers, and more. This is usually attributed to an extrovert, someone who is friendly to colleagues and more often than not, this person is one of, if not the most creative in the company. On the downside, those with messy desks are considered less productive than others since they spend a lot of time trying to find items.

3. The personalised desk

This desk features personal objects that give bits and pieces about their life and personality. It’s like a mini version of their home. People who have personalised desks are perceived to be extroverted and creative, the sort who are open to new ideas and opportunities. It also shows that these people are comfortable in their job since they treat their desks like home.

4. The ‘techie’ desk

This particular desk can be a mess, but unlike the chaotic one above, this one’s clutter is mostly wires, chargers, and other tech gadgets. Despite the mess, people with this type of desk are perceived as friendly and creative, as well as the sort who are compulsive, curious, and excited to experiment. However, techies may be a bit difficult to work with as far as managers are concerned since they tend to do things in their own time.

A spokesperson from Furniture at Work commented: “For many of us, the number of hours we spend sitting at our desks means that they become like a second home to us. This means that they really start to reflect our personalities and the way we work. We’re sure everyone has seen these types of desks or similar in their workplace before, so hopefully this insight will be helpful in understanding and learning how to work even better with these colleagues!”