How to tell your collegue to leave your personal space alone?

[Anonymous]

My desk at work is fairly tidy.

I have a lot of paper files which is set up in 3 sections as there are three stages to them.

I was away yesterday and when I cam be to work today my colleague had tidied my desk so now the files I have were mixed up and it took me 30 minutes to put them back in the correct piles.

I've told her many times to leave my desk alone but she never listens.

She doesn't do this to anyone else's desk.

It's just really frustrating when I have told her many times and I feel like my personal space is being invaded.

How can I get this through to her without getting in trouble?

Updates

2 mo

Last time I wrote signs saying "Please do not touch" and she messed them up anyway.

[laraWM]

Perhaps you could lock the files in a cupboard before you leave?

[In_Trance]

Well you're in the workplace so you need to be polite and say please but tell her to take her bullshit and fuck all the way off

[AI Opinion]

Approach your colleague calmly and express your feelings directly but respectfully. Start by explaining the importance of your organization system and how disruptions affect your workflow. Use "I" statements, such as "I feel" or "I need" to communicate your emotions and needs without sounding accusative. Request that she respects your workspace explicitly, emphasizing it enhances your productivity. If the situation doesn’t improve, consider discussing it with a supervisor or HR to explore further solutions, while maintaining a professional tone throughout.

[KrakenAttackin]

Stand on her fucking desk and lay down the law.