How To Use Feng Shui To Create a More Balanced Workplace

Feng shui is a philosophy geared toward helping improve people's lives through colors, architecture, and the flow of spaces. Read on for feng shui tips to create a more efficient and comfortable work environment.

“Feng shui” is a Chinese term that translates to “the way of wind and water.” Interestingly, this is likely how we started to use the word “flow” in the West. The art of feng shui partly centers on how we configure buildings and objects like furniture and decor to support this flow of energy.

The philosophy has its roots in early Taoism around 500 B.C.E and has to do with humanity’s relationship with nature and the universe. Feng shui emerged from the ancient ideas of balance and harmony.

Taoists believe in “chi,” also spelled “qi,” which roughly translates to the life force that inhabits all things. Chi is where we get the “yin and yang'' symbol — two complimentary but opposing life forces. Taoists believe that if you properly balance everything, you will experience a more positive flow of chi.

In the West, we mainly associate feng shui with interior design and home floor plans, but the philosophy also touches on a wider scope of subjects like city planning and architecture. In short, good feng shui is believed to bring about prosperity, improve relationships, increase good luck, optimize efficiency, and promote better health.

Let’s look at nine ways for how to feng shui your office space.

According to feng shui experts, clutter and visual noise in your home office can negatively affect joy and positive feelings. We spend a good chunk of our lives in office spaces, and how we maintain these areas can affect our productivity.

Apply the basic principles of feng shui to your office design by decluttering and removing anything distracting, whether it’s a poster you hung up of your favorite movie or unnecessary knick-knacks on your bookcase. Start by removing nearly everything from your office and adding only the items essential to your workflow.

After that’s done, begin adding pieces that you feel elevate and assist your focus. You might be shocked at how many items you had in the workspace that you didn’t use or need at all. (This is especially helpful if you have a small office space.)

Bringing nature into our lives is a major cornerstone of good feng shui design, and oxygenating desk plants are an easy way to do that.

Plants aren’t only beautiful, but scientists have suggested they offer unique health benefits to indoor living. In 1989, NASA researchers found that indoor plants can improve air quality, sifting out harmful chemicals. The NASA study recommended plants with larger leaves, like peace lilies, aloe vera, Boston ferns, figs, and bamboo, for optimum air filtering benefits.

The idea of balance can be literal as well. In this case, we’re talking about ergonomics. Poor ergonomics can contribute to back pain and soreness when the spine is out of the proper “s” curve alignment.

As such, investing in quality furniture should be a priority. If you sit a lot during your workday, you’ll need a chair that can support you for hours. The Ergonomic Chair is ideal for anyone who has productivity and comfort in mind. This chair offers support for eight hours or more at a time, with high-density cushioning and eight adjustable points to achieve the perfect form.

Another excellent option is the Saddle Chair. If you work in a physically dynamic work environment that has you getting up from your office chair and moving around often, this chair offers unparalleled mobility and accessibility.

Every chair also needs a desk companion. Regular office desks are great, but Standing Desks can elevate your productivity by allowing you to alternate between standing and sitting. For the best standing desk experience, you’ll want to ensure it’s quiet, smooth, and comes in a range of colors and sizes that fit your space.

The top of your monitor should be just above eye level, and basic stands may not be able to achieve this. The Monitor Arm can help you keep your monitor in the most ergonomically efficient position while not occupying any valuable deskspace.  

Allowing an office to bathe in natural light can promote mental well-being and focus. Depending on the windows in your office, try placing your desk right in front of a window to increase your natural light exposure.

If the sun glare bothers you in this set-up, opt for a desk placement on the other side of the room and place a mirror directly opposite the window. The mirror can reflect the ambient light and brighten the space.

A neat trick to reflect more ambient light is to use more pieces of furniture with glossy finishes. Other decor in the office can also be made of reflective materials like glass to bounce off ambient light.

Aromatherapy is an often overlooked method of encouraging relaxation and calm in office spaces because we don’t always associate calming scents with work.

These particular scents could help make your office smell great and feel even better:

Lavender is popular because it’s easy to find, is soothing, and smells pleasant. It is generally pretty subtle and not as overpowering as other scents.

Vanilla is another fantastic choice for promoting peace and calm.

Lemongrass is a reliable choice for the office as it’s both calming and energizing — perfect for those days when you need a quiet environment to focus in.

Many of us will fall into the trap of shoving our desks and other furnishings against a solid wall or into the corners for maximum spatial efficiency. However, this practice isn’t optimal for maximum flow.

If you have the space, try floating your desk position in the middle of the room to allow for a more dynamic movement of energy.

Feng shui relates certain colors to the basic elements:

The water element is related to dark blue and black.The fire element is red. The earth element is yellow. The metal element is white, beige, and silver. Lastly, the wood element is green and blue.

It may help to think of these elements as themes. Green is associated with nature and life; it can liven up a space that may feel bleak or dark. If your line of work incorporates a lot of learning, blue might be your color because it represents learning and the discovery of the unknown.

Western thinking usually associates the color green with intelligence. In the East, yellow represents both intelligence and abundance. However, feng shui guidelines advise that yellow should be avoided in smaller rooms and works best in kitchens and living rooms.

Wood is a wonderful element to bring into the office because it represents nature and life; it is always welcome when trying to elevate productivity. Furniture is the most obvious way to introduce wood into the office.

For example, the Desk Organizer, made from solid white oak, brings a soothing, natural touch to an otherwise utilitarian accessory. Then, you can select between subtle, muted shades like Moss, Terracotta, Stone, Frost, Deep Space, or Linen to bring your hue of choice into your work zone.

One principle of feng shui is called the command position. The command position is the spot in any room that offers the best energy flow. In feng shui, this spot is diagonal and far away from the door. Similarly, the power position is where in the room to sit when doing important tasks (like a crucial business meeting).

Whether you practice it or not, feng shui could help guide or inspire you as you ponder your dream workplace. Remember that they are just guidelines to help you and not a stringent set of rules you must follow.

If you want to feng shui your office, embrace your workspace's natural elements and energy flow for better well-being and productivity.

Sources:

Feng Shui | National Geographic

11 Reasons to Use Lemongrass Essential Oil | Healthline

How to Use Feng Shui to Position Your Desk | The Spruce

The Cost of Clutter in Your Life | Verywell Mind

Being in natural light improves mood, increases happiness | UCLA Health

Removal of Benzene by the Indoor Plant/Substrate Microcosm and Implications for Air Quality | SpringerLink

Health benefits of indoor plants | Piedmont