Desk Feng Shui

Feng Shui your desk. Does that sound silly? Feng Shui is simply a set of aesthetic principles designed to help people live in harmony with their environment and increase positive energy (qi). There's nothing silly about that.

Feng Shui is more commonly thought of for use in the home, but there's no reason why the principles of Feng Shui can't also be applied to the office. Most people spend more time in the office than in any other single location (besides asleep in bed). A few simple adjustments can make your desk and office a more harmonious environment. And you might even improve your qi.

1. The Elements of Style. Feng Shui is based on five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Office spaces are often sterile and heavily unbalanced towards metal and away from earth, water and wood. Use color to bring the elements into your office: green or brown for wood, red, yellow, orange, purple or pink for fire, light yellow, tan and light brown for earth, white or gray for metal, and blue or black for water.

You can also incorporate natural elements such as potted plants, earthenware pots or a small fountain on your desk. Use these natural elements in a practical way, for instance store paper clips and pens in pottery on your desk.

2. Avoid Poison Arrows. Feng Shui says that poison arrows, or shars, are straight lines pointing towards you. The longer and straighter the line, the more negative the energy. For instance, a long railing pointing directly at your front door.  

Practically speaking, in most business environments you will not able to move your entire office to avoid shars. But you can work with this principle on a smaller scale. If you have a long, straight railing, hang plants along it to break up the line. If your office or cubicle is at the end of a walkway so that people are walking directly towards you, move your desk away from the direction of traffic.

3. Line of Sight. When you are sitting at your desk and someone comes to the door, can you see them immediately, or do you need to twist in your seat? If at all possible, move your desk so that you can see the door without having to turn around. If you cannot rearrange the furniture in your workspace, place a mirror by your desk which allows you to see the door.

4. Simple Shapes. According to feng shui, rooms should be simple, unbroken square and rectangular shapes. Many modern offices include structural elements that jut into the room like exposed pipes or protruding corners. If this describes your office, try to conceal the protruding element with a screen, wall hanging or plant. If there are exposed beams on the ceiling, hang a pendant, small bamboo flute or windchime from the center of the beam.

5. Think Round. Though your office should be a square or rectangle, it should also incorporate round office furniture. Round shapes symbolize prosperity, making them particularly appropriate for the office. If you have the space, a round meeting table and round rug is ideal. If you can't add furniture to your office, you can still incorporate round shapes: hang round mirrors or hangings on the wall, and collect round objects on your desk. Not only will this improve your feng shui, it will make your desk more attractive and comfortable to sit at all day.