Are you STILL working from home? Are you tired of the makeshift “office” you created during the pandemic? Have you lost any desire to arrange your space so that it suits you? Are you feeling sluggish, dull, and uninspired? Well, let me introduce you to feng shui.
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art of working with the subtle, but pervasive, energy that is qi/chi (pronounced chee). Feng shui is both the interaction of humans and their environments, and the way in which people can influence these interactions to improve their lives. This means designing your surroundings according to the principles of positive energy flow.
By utilizing chi and applying feng shui, one can achieve more mental clarity, abundance in wealth, better health, heightened energy, and increased motivation, just to name a few. And with so many people working from home nowadays, spaces with positive feng shui is crucial now more than ever. We can’t expect ourselves to operate in our humble abodes if it is filled with energy that is not conducive to what we desire, especially when it comes to our careers.
So with spring just around the corner, what better time than now to introduce feng shui into your space!
Firstly, in order to start, you MUST get rid of clutter. Think of our bodies and minds—if we have so many thoughts filling our minds, we are more likely to be overwhelmed, stressed, and unfocused. Same goes for the body. If there’s stagnant chi, illnesses tend to form. Life requires movement, and to be healthy, everything needs to flow. Our bodies are mostly water, and if water doesn’t flow properly, just imagine what a clogged stream looks like. Clutter in our sacred spaces signifies “dead energy,” and you must clear that energy if you want to bring in positive energy.
There is a lot more to feng shui than what I can cover here, but I will be focusing on our office spaces, because I also work part-time from home. Even if you don’t have a specific room in your house dedicated to an office, that’s totally okay. By bringing intention into your office area through simple feng shui principles, you can achieve balance and harmony in your work.
How to use feng shui to reinvigorate your work space
Say Yes to Cutting Corners
It’s important to have furniture that doesn’t have sharp edges. However, I’m not expecting everyone to simply throw out their furniture and buy brand new ones! Work with what you have now. Spend some time rearranging your office furniture so that at least no sharp edges/angles are pointing directly at you while you work. This will neutralize sha chi (which translates to poison arrows). Think of anything that could cut or harm you. This is why it’s against good kitchen feng shui to have knives in wooden blocks out in the open. It’s basically like asking to get stabbed. Feng shui places a lot of emphasis on these analogies. Everything has energy, and feng shui is all about creating healthier energy that flows freely.
Location, Location, Location
Is your desk facing a wall? That is a huge no-no. Ideally a wall should be directly at your back when you sit at your desk. This symbolizes strong support. You also want your desk to be facing the main door. This provides you the ability to see opportunities, especially those related to your work/business. In feng shui, it is called the “power position.” Think of all those movies and shows with the CEO’s and where their desks were located. Every single one I can remember always had their desks facing the door, and that was for a reason! It is a very dominant position that exudes confidence. Make sure the desk isn’t directly in front of the door though, because you wouldn’t want all your hard work to escape every time the door opens.
A Pictures Worth a Thousand Feelings
Plants are always a great addition to any space. For your office/desk, use lush plants with thicker leaves. This symbolizes abundance and prosperity. Just no cacti, because the have sa chi from their spiky edges. Furthermore, if you can’t for any reason have plants in your space, pictures will work too. Any type of inspirational art will provide positive energy to your space. Use art that makes you happy, calm, or motivated when you look at it. Colors also play a big role! Natural earth tones provide a grounding effect, but in general, use lighter shades that aren’t as mentally overstimulating for your work space. Your goal is to feel centered and calm, yet motivated and powerful while working.
Fanning the Flames
Windows are great for gazing out of, especially when you sit at your desk. They can bring about “bright futures and potentials.” And if your office space is dull even with windows, utilize the fire element by brightening up your space and arranging floor or table lamps. Floor lamps are great at drawing the energy up. It will inspire you to think bigger. Using colors like orange and red to liven up your space will help increase the fire element. Orange is also the color of health, according to feng shui. You can also harness the great benefits of scents while you work. Use citrus scents to uplift you and bring a stable energy while you work long hours. Sweet orange, blood orange, lemongrass, and bergamot are all great essential oils you can diffuse in your space as well. Your mental capacity to work is like a fire. If you use too much too fast, you’ll likely get burnt out. But if you can keep a steady fire, you’ll increase your productivity and energy throughout your working hours.
Chi is the invisble life path of energy within your home. So in order for it to flow, your space needs to reflect movement, positivity, balance and peace. This will in turn create more momentum, energy, and harmony into your own life. Everything is connected—so take some time this spring to let go of what no longer serves you and bring in more of that which lifts you up.
Also by Paige: How I Switched To An Eco-Friendly Safety Razor
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Photo: Gian Paolo Aliatis via Unsplash
