How To Create Good Feng Shui In Your Office

Feng Shui is a word that comes to us from ancient Chinese culture. It refers to the belief that rooms, and in fact whole buildings, can be designed and oriented to align with flows of energy in a favorable way.

Believe it or not, Feng Shui originated 6,000 years ago and was used to determine ideal locations for structures and burial grounds.

In modern times, however, Feng Shui is regarded as a pseudoscience. The term has come to mean “that feeling you get when you walk into a space and it just feels right”.

Not very scientific, but we all know what that feeling is like. We’ve all been in spaces that leave us feeling relaxed and happy. And we’ve also been in spaces that leave us feeling stressed and slightly on edge even if we can’t put our finger on why.

Since most adults will spend half their waking hours at work, it is important to create an office space that supports you, not one that adds to your load. Here are some ways to do just that:

Remove The Clutter

A cluttered space is one that has many objects, incomplete projects, and clashing motifs all screaming for your attention.

When you enter a space, your attention is naturally drawn to certain objects in it. Ideally these objects would all harmonize in color and would be of high quality. For example, you might have a wooden desk, an arm chair, and a wooden shelf that dominate the space and attract attention.

If these items share a design and color scheme (not necessarily matching exactly, but complementing each other) then your mind can relax into the aesthetics and symmetry. When done well, this sort of reaction happens on a subconscious level.

When a space is cluttered with many objects or clashing colors and designs, your eye doesn’t know where to rest. Unconsciously, your mind tries to take it all in. Humans like things to match and make sense. When they don’t the mind bounces from object to object trying to make sense of it all.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel relaxed, happy, and peaceful when my mind is bouncing around like a ping pong ball.

So step one to achieving Feng Shui? Remove the clutter.

Balance = Harmony

When designing a space, it is important to balance out the placement of things. Now that you have removed any superfluous things to minimize clutter, take a step back and examine your space.

Humans love symmetry. It is the natural state of things.

Don’t believe me? Take a walk and look around. The petals on a flower, the leaves on a tree, the wings on a bird? All symmetrical.

When designing the perfect space, make sure you have balanced the objects in the room so that one side doesn’t “feel” heavier than the other.

The same goes for the placement of things on shelves, your desk, etc.

Choose A Classic Motif And Stick To It

When choosing the colors and design of your office supplies, stick with one style and choose things that are going to stand the test of time like these acrylic accessories in gold or silver.

We can all usually spot a fad from a mile away. And while it can be fun to indulge in the latest style of jewelry, clothes, or haircuts, when it comes to picking something more permanent like furniture and office supplies, it is best to stick with the tried and true.

Why?

Simple. Then you won’t get sick of it in a few months. And you won’t have to either tolerate it forever or spend money to replace it.

The bottom line is that you deserve a space that makes you feel comfortable and happy. Have fun designing your new office space!