Your laptop is the problem

To keep a clutter-free desk with both a monitor and a laptop, you need to treat the laptop as a secondary screen—stop letting it take up the same space where your keyboard and mouse should be.

The easiest fix is a vertical laptop stand. It gets the laptop upright and off your desk surface, freeing up the entire area in front of the monitor. If you still need the laptop screen, put it to the side on a small riser so it sits at eye level. But the real win is getting it out of the way entirely.

A monitor arm helps too. It lifts the monitor off its stand, which gives you back the desk real estate underneath. Combine that with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and you’ve got a clean, open workspace.

For cables, a single USB-C dock can handle power, display, and peripherals. Run everything through one cable to the laptop, and tuck the dock under the desk or behind the monitor. That’s the whole game.

A clear desk is a clear head. Make it happen.