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Feng Shui: Wind & Water |
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Feng Shui
in the Office
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by Carole J. Hyder |
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With the high stress level at most jobs these days, many people (employers as well as employees, one-person offices to corporate executives) are looking for a way to get out from under the pressure and to get through the day. A lot of people are turning to Feng Shui, the Chinese art and science of placement. It’s based upon the premise that "your space reflects your life." In other words, if your desk is cluttered and your office feels out-of-control, chances are there’s a correspondence in your personal life. Along with your desk, your schedule may be cluttered; like your office, you may be involved in a situation which seems out-of-control.
Feng Shui proposes that by changing your outer environment, you can influence other aspects of your life. If you de-clutter your desk, you could very well de-clutter your schedule. If you spend a little time bringing some control to your office, you might experience a pleasant shift in that out-of-control situation.
Although there appears to be a gap in logic between taking some action in your space and positively influencing your life, Feng Shui nevertheless adheres to this belief. Its legacy is over 4000 years old, having begun in China as a method for determining proper burial placement for a family’s ancestors. It has evolved to what it is today: a means to bring about harmony and balance through the metaphor of spatial context.
These days many of my Feng Shui appointments take place in an office for a number of reasons: a conflict with authority, a drop-off in business, employee issues, morale problems or a feeling of being stuck or in a rut. Unfortunately the issue behind a lot of these problems is often a simple case of clutter. Being overwhelmed with clutter is unproductive, inefficient and can be, at times, frightening. Clutter can take the form of too many photos, too many vacation mementos or too many piles of paper. Having a desk filled with unfinished projects, dead plants, dusty photos, moldy coffee cups and yesterday’s lunch contributes to the possibility of clutter in other areas of your life. As each horizontal space in your office gets filled and stacked, you become less and less creative. Your horizons become smaller and smaller. These cramped conditions are a metaphor for how you’re feeling about your job. Because your vision is only as big as your counter-top or desk, it pays to keep it open and clear as much as possible.
Sometimes lack of adequate storage is a problem and is the reason for the clutter in the first place. There just aren’t enough filing cabinets or book shelves to hold all those items in an orderly manner. Experience has proven to me, however, that if the existing files and shelves are organized, sorted and purged of out-dated materials, there’s usually plenty of space without having to crowd in more furniture.
Another office issue is desk placement. From a Feng Shui standpoint, it is always better to have a view of the door when you sit at your desk. When your back is to the door, there’s the chance you could be startled by someone coming up from behind. Being startled while trying to work is counter-productive, to say the least, but waiting to be startled can be equally disruptive. Sitting with your back to the door is a message about being surprised in life, not just at your desk. If there are absolutely no options of turning your desk so you can see the entry door, place a mirror on the wall in front of you. This allows you to see what’s going on behind and gives you a better sense of being in control (like the rear-view mirror concept in your car).
Unfortunately many cubicle systems are designed and installed so that people not only sit with their backs to the door, but have oppressive storage shelves installed above desk. People are not productive in cubicles. I hear complaints about fatigue, headaches, anxiety and frustration from employees who have to work in a cubicle all day. Because the computer is typically situated so a person sits with their back to the activity, a small mirror mounted on the computer monitor (rear-view mirror idea again) enables the employee to see who might be coming up behind them.
It’s crucial in a cubicle to keep mementoes and photos to a minimum. Too many add to the clutter. Pick a few favorites and display them one at a time, rotating each week or each month. Plants can go a long way to soften the effects of a cubicle. Silk plants are okay; in a cubicle where there are probably no windows to access, silk plants might be the only option.
All of the above suggestions apply to a home office----even more so. It doesn’t matter whether clients pay a visit to your home office or not, you still want to keep the clutter to a minimum, have adequate storage and sit so you can see the door. A home office should be near the front of the house, symbolic of an easy connection with the outside world. If it’s in the back of the house, it can take over your whole life. A home office can be in the basement or lower level without much of any problem as long as you don’t start to feel cramped due to low ceiling and few windows. Using torchiere lights or floor canisters that shine light upward can help to "raise the roof."
Whether in a home office or not, avoid sitting up against a wall which has a toilet on the other side so you aren’t "drained." Don’t have your desk right up by the entry or you’ll be tempted to leave your job. Keep tall items to a minimum (bookcases, tall filing cabinets, over-sized bulletin boards); they can diminish your personal sense of size, therefore your importance. Have a desk in proportion to your body type. Just because you’ve taken over your daughter’s old bedroom, it doesn’t mean you have to sit at her little-girl desk. Surround yourself with an inspirational picture or two on the wall, as well as awards and commendations you’ve received, to keep you going during those difficult days.
Feng Shui is about creating a space with maximum harmony and balance. Using its principles in your office or cubicle, you can create a place that supports your goals. By starting in small ways, like de-cluttering just one area each day, you will start to see improvements in other areas of your life. Although it may seem inconsequential, a small but intentional action on your part to improve your physical office space may bring a surprising change in your job situation or in your personal life.
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Carole J. Hyder,
Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
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Carole J. Hyder has accomplished success as a Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
She has been a Feng Shui consultant since 1992, having studied with Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Roger Green, both master teachers in their respective philosophies of Feng Shui.
She has facilitated hundreds of private residential and commercial consultations in both traditions. She is co-founder and president of the Feng Shui Institute of the Midwest, an organization dedicated to creating standards for practitioners, providing continuing education and community outreach.
Besides being published in countless publications and writing a monthly column for "The Edge," Carole has published two books. Wind and Water: Your Personal Feng Shui Journey is in its fifth edition, has world-wide distribution and has been translated into Spanish and German. Her second book Living Feng Shui: Personal Stories was released in September 2001.
Carole currently spends her time presenting seminars and keynotes. She has developed a six-part training program, Wind and Water School of Feng Shui, which is now licensed by the State of MN.
www.carolehyder.com
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