Working
from home can be a mixed blessing for those of us old enough to have finally
finished with putting on those high heels every day and going in to the office
(or shop, or wherever) to work.
Maybe
you like not having to get dressed up, being able to sip your coffee or tea, play
soft music, nibble your snacks, and even throw in a load of laundry now and
then, while you work.
At
the same time – because you’re at home – do your grown children expect you to babysit your grandchildren
even when you have a 20-page report to write?
Do
you wonder why you feel so uncomfortable at your desk, or why it’s so much
harder to get work done at home than you thought it would be?
If
you’ve been working from home for a while, are you running into “writer’s
block” or finding yourself procrastinating instead of getting work done? Are
you having trouble attracting clients or keeping your business going?
Whether
you work from home full or part time, remotely for a company, freelance, or run
a business of your own, Feng Shui can
help activate the energy needed for greater success and ease in your work.
You
can arrange your home office, studio, or workshop to make you happier, more
comfortable, productive, and successful, by considering three conscious
choices:
- where
your office is located in your home; - how
you arrange everything in it, and - how
you organize your desktop or work surface.
Location, Location, Location
Take
a good look at where you do your work at home. Is it the spare room,
with an ever-growing pile of clutter on the bed that guests only use once or
twice a year? Is it that little built-in desk that’s part of your kitchen
cabinets? Is it your laptop, literally balanced on your lap?
No
matter what kind of work you do at home, making it important enough in your
life to have its own space will help you enjoy it more and increase your
chances for success.
If
you can, give your work a room of its own. Re-purpose that little-used guest
room, your grown kids’ old bedroom or playroom, an unused formal dining room,
or a potting shed in the garden.
Setting
up a designated place for your work draws energy to it and elevates its
importance in your home as a creative outlet and wealth generator for you. You
should do your work in a place that you love to be and that reflects who you
are right now.
Looking
at it should tell you and the rest of the world that your work is done here,
that it’s important to you, and that it’s not a space for other things. The
room should be uncluttered and well-organized, with good light.
Your Power Position, Surrounded by Support
Place
your desk or work table in the command position, so that you are facing the
door when sitting there. Avoid having your back or side to the room’s door. Have
a solid wall behind you, or if that’s not possible, make sure your chair has a
high back, creating a sense of safety and security supporting you.
If
space is tight and you have to put your desk in a closet or corner, so that
you’re facing a wall when seated, place a large mirror on the wall in front of
you, so that you can clearly see as much of the room as possible, but at least
the doorway.
Unlike
your bedroom, which needs low, long, soothing yin energy, your home
office needs more yang, or active energy, with more colors and images,
placed higher in the room.
Don’t
make it too active, so that it creates stress or makes concentration difficult,
but instead, balance the energy in a way that it is conducive to working.
Fill
it with things that you love and that inspire you in your work – pictures, inspirational
sayings or quotes, lamps, live plants, rugs, chairs, books, statues, cut
flowers in water, fish bowls, and tabletop or wall-mounted water fountains.
Avoid
images of sorrow, failure, or violence, even if it’s high art. Remove any heavy
light fixtures or ceiling fans hanging down over you or your desk.
Make
sure all computers, printers, lamps, light bulbs and switches, window blinds, doors,
hinges, and drawers are in good working order. Don’t overload bookshelves. Instead,
arrange books in small groupings in between objects that are beautiful and
inspiring to you, and leaving some empty spaces.
Hide piles
of electrical cords in tubes or behind furniture. Keep the floor clear of books,
magazines, or files. Start with a good decluttering, including inside drawers
and cabinets, and then keep it up, as work stuff tends to accumulate quickly.
Shred
any papers you no longer need or use, and avoid creating new hardcopy
unnecessarily. If you have one, keep your bulletin board tidy and cover it with
only uplifting, encouraging work images and words.
If,
for any reason (like a wandering cat who tends to knock things over), you don’t
want water fountains, fish bowls, or live plants in your office, you can use
artificial plants and pictures of water in nature.
Photos
or artwork depicting rivers, oceans, lakes, or waterfalls (with the water
appearing to flow into the room), or images of koi fish are all good
generators of wealth energy.
Long
silk vines are great for covering sharp edges of furniture, as you want to
avoid any sharp edges pointing at you when you are at your desk.
Top of Desk, Top of Mind
Feng Shui also offers ways to
arrange your desktop to ease stress and promote productivity and success. Your computer,
or your specific project materials, will be directly in front of you. The far
side of the desk, in the middle, is a good place for a desk lamp.
The far right corner is the place
for photos and mementos that support and encourage your work, or anything in
pairs. Files belong on the center of the right side and your phone, planner or
calendar, and address book on the right corner nearest you.
On the left, keep current books and
reference materials on the front corner, a plant in the middle, and a water
fountain, a glass bowl or water-filled vase with cut flowers, or a fish bowl on
the far left corner. Be sure to keep plants or flowers fresh and healthy.
Keep your phone and computer
uncluttered by regularly deleting old, unnecessary files, emails, bookmarks, pictures
of cute cats, and funny videos. Delete old listings that you no longer use from
your digital address books.
Use a mousepad with a Feng Shui
symbol of success or wealth, such as a waterfall, green dragon, or koi fish.
One more item I always keep in my
home office is a small, beautiful wooden box, in which I place little pieces of
paper bearing quotations, affirmations, images and plans for my work. I look
through them often, removing old ones with gratitude and adding new ones as
needed.
Bloom Where You Are Planted
If you take your laptop to your
local coffee shop to work or set yourself up at your kitchen or patio table,
living room, or den sofa, sit with a solid wall behind you. Make sure you have
good light, minimize distractions, and keep your work tidy and organized.
Value and respect your work enough
to protect its time and space, wherever you are. If you don’t, no one else will
either, and energy will be depleted away from the work and your success at it.
Many of us have spent years
longing for the day when we could leave the rat race behind and at the same
time keep a hand in our long-term career or start a new venture, working from
home. Now that it’s here, just a few Feng Shui adjustments can make it work
better for you.
Is working from home more
complicated than you thought it would be? Have you found ways to make your home
office a perfect place to work? Let’s talk!
