The Power of Feng Shui: Building a More Focused Home Office (Guest blog)

Many people love the idea of being able to work from home. But most people who’ve experienced what it’s like first-hand will tell you that it’s not as easy to stay productive as it might seem.

Sure, being able to wear what you want and not have to worry about someone “accidentally” stealing your lunch is great, but keeping yourself busy when you have any number of personal distractions around you can be difficult.

However, by incorporating Feng Shui design elements in your home office, you may be surprised how much more focused you can actually be.

The Importance of Your Office Location

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that is all about arranging different spaces so that they’re balanced for their purpose. In this regard, the location of your office can be quite important.

While everyone’s home is different, and not everyone has a ton of space to work with, the overall strategy for office placement should be assigning it to a quieter part of your home that’s away from distractions. This allows an uninterrupted flow of “chi,” or positive energy, which will help you stay more focused throughout the day.

In addition to having a distraction-free working area, you’ll also want to make use of natural lighting whenever possible. Having a window in or near your office will help you reduce the need for harsh, artificial lighting, which can cause eye strain and be another distraction while you’re getting your work done.

Setting Up the Commanding Position

While not everyone thinks of their office as a place of comfort, in Feng Shui, this is an important component of maintaining productivity throughout the day and allowing your creativity to flow freely.

The “command position” is a guiding principle in Feng Shui that has to do with how you place your desk and chair in your office. While this may seem like it’s simply a matter of preference, there are certain things you can do to help give yourself a sense of control and awareness of your surroundings.

Making sure you face your desk towards the door or entry of your office allows you to have a clear view of anyone entering your space. When you combine this with making sure your back is to a wall, you’re successfully putting yourself in that commanding position, which gives you a sense of security and won’t let you get caught off guard by visitors. This allows your mind to stay focused and helps to avoid the feeling of being on edge. 

Declutter Your Space and Mind

Everybody has their own way of organizing their working areas. While some are neat and tidy, others might enjoy working in a state of “organized chaos.” However, when incorporating Feng Shui into your workspace, decluttering your working space regularly is a must.

There is a reason why, in many couples therapy or even trauma therapy settings, therapists will make sure meeting spaces are clean and organized. More than just showing a level of professionalism, physical clutter can actually impact our mental energy. Whether it’s random stacks of papers or overuse of distracting desk toys, clutter can quickly allow a person's concentration to wander and increase feelings of tension.

In your office setting, you’ll want to spend time at the end of each day or even week to make sure your desk and surrounding space are clean and organized. You might be surprised by how clear your mind is when working regularly in this type of setting.

Using Natural Elements

Feng Shui makes use of the five key elements - water, earth, metal, wood, and fire - to help provide a space with a balanced way to promote positive energy. Each element has its own purpose and can be incorporated based on the personality or life goals of each individual.

For example, neutral wood is closely linked to supporting creativity. By strategically incorporating potted plants in your office, you can reinforce this type of mindset. In other areas of your office, a softly scented candle, representing fire, can help bring more warmth or passion into the work you do. 

The great thing about Feng Shui design principles is that how they’re used can be unique to each person. Whether you have certain career goals you’ve set for yourself or are looking to better yourself in different areas of life, there are various ways you can use Feng Shui to help you establish a healthy environment where you can work on achieving them.

Leveraging Color Psychology in Your Office

The paint colors or artwork you choose for your office can do more for your working area than just being nice to look at. There is a psychology associated with color choices in Feng Shui that can affect your mood and energy levels for better or for worse.

Different colors are associated with different types of emotions. Blues, greens, and softer neutral colors, for example, help to promote a sense of calm and focus in your day-to-day. Using colors that are too bright or bold can have the reverse effect and lead to more anxious thoughts that can be distracting. Choosing the right color pallet for your office can make all the difference when it comes to how much you’re able to successfully accomplish throughout the day.

Let Feng Shui Help You Build a Productive Working Space

Using the principles of Feng Shui can be a great way to get more out of your workday when working from home. By applying some basic strategies, you can promote a sense of calm and focus in whatever you’re working on while helping more easily achieve your goals in life.

Author Name: 
Dr. Hannah Yang

Author Bio:
Visionary and healthcare entrepreneur by passion, Licensed Psychologist by training, Dr. Hannah Yang loves creating new possibilities in the world of mental health and wellness. Dr. Yang established Balanced Awakening in 2015 as a niche psychotherapy practice for women. As Balanced Awakening flourishes in Chicago, and soon Miami, she also loves to tap into her passion for design and Feng Shui to create fabulous environments for herself, her team, and clients.