Organizing your home office desk in line with Feng Shui principles isn’t as difficult as it sounds. All work and no play can make even the most motivated entrepreneurs’ enthusiasm wane over time, especially if the workspace isn’t designed with peak focus, creativity, and comfort in mind.
Of all the workplace features that have a hand in productivity and work satisfaction, the office desk is the most important one. Your desk should be treated with due love and respect. But how do you set up your desk for sustainable success?
It’s easy: all you need to do is turn to the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui and use the time-tested Zen design principles to hack business success, uninterrupted energy flow, and your own well-being by a few desktop tweaks.
Feng Shui: An office desk that fits your success
According to Feng Shui, desk size, material, and color all play a vital role in business results. For peak performance, the desk should be large enough to provide a comfortable work area but it shouldn’t stand out from the rest of the furniture. An adequately-sized desk symbolizes control and authority, but make sure it’s not too huge: if you can’t reach the corners, it means that your career is out of control.
As for shape, a rectangular desk such as Sauder® Shoal Creek Executive Desk is ideal for peak focus, whereas a curved or round executive desk such as Sautotrader’s Aspen Colline is better for brainstorming and creative work.
Space for business growth
When it comes to desk materials, wood and metal are the best choice as they symbolize stability and peak mental performance. Glass desks and tables (like those offered by Lexus or Arkitek) on the other hand, symbolize transparency, but they also allow a faster energy flow, so be sure to coat them with wooden accessories or potted plants for a dose of stability. Laminate desks are energy neutral and won’t impact your performance significantly.
When it comes to the link between colors and performance, Feng Shui distinguishes between tones which stimulate the mind (gray, white, and muted shades) and those that invigorate the body (brown and bright hues). For this reason, medium-toned wooden desks are considered the best office option as they provide optimal contrast and minimal distraction.
Office power plays with Feng Shui
Based on the principles of Feng Shui design, the desk should be placed diagonally opposite the front door, preferably in a sunlit corner of the office. Such desk placement is often referred to as the commanding position, and it symbolizes insight into the opportunities coming into your professional life.
Ideally, the desk should sit next to the window, not directly in front of it, but if this is not an option, you can place a tall plant or a heavy piece of furniture to provide stability (and guard your back) as you’re busying away at your computer.
Organized workflow
Ungainly piles of clutter are a major No-no in Feng Shui design, which is why you should organize files on your desktop and place papers into separate folders.
Separating unfinished tasks from completed projects will help you gain control over workflow and improve your work focus and organization, and you can use different colored folders to classify files by date, status, or category. Once you’ve sorted out paperwork, put away the folders that can wait and concentrate on the files which need to be completed without delay.
Bliss in the Feng Shui details
With your desk in place and out of clutter’s way, it’s time to turn you gaze to the desktop layout. According to the Feng Shui energy map, the desk surface can be divided into nine areas, each of them signifying one aspect of your life.
To nudge both your professional and private life in the right direction, pick 2 or 3 segments of the desk space and top them with the right accessories to inspire growth.
Career, front and center
The quadrant right in front of you represents your professional life, so if you want to nudge your career onto the right track and hack peak productivity, put an inspiring quote or picture there or tape it to the underside of the desk.
Family matters matter
The central section on the left side of the desk is reserved for family, so if you want to display a framed photo of your loved ones on your desktop, this is the best spot to place it.
Make room for creativity
The area dedicated to creativity and kids sits opposite the family section on your desktop, so you can stack pictures of your kids or inspiring business books at this spot if you’re short on work motivation.
The wisdom of success
The front left corner of the desk is signifies wisdom, so top it with books or other study material to unleash intellectual and spiritual growth.
Travel options on the table
The right corner at the bottom of the desk is the area of travel and helpful people. Here you can place the address book, city map, travel guides, or that chic organizer you picked up at Peter’s of Kensington to keep your contacts at hand at all times.
Business and pleasure
The quadrant of love and romance is located at the upper right corner of the desk, so if you’re in it for love and not just business, this is the spot to display the photo of your partner or that cute knick knack your fiancé got you last week.
Wealthy, not just busy
The upper left corner of the desk is dedicated to wealth and progress, so place your PC screen here to unleash professional prosperity and fortunes that go with it. A potted plant or piggy bank will also do the trick, as they will attract cash into your life.
Successful – and famous
The quadrant of fame and reputation sits at the center of the upper section of your desk, which is why most entrepreneurs who want to make a name for themselves stack their business cards here. This is also a cool spot to display the nameplate if you wish to impress clients or coworkers by your professional attitude to work.
All about wellness
The central section of your desktop governs your health, so keep it open for uninterrupted flow of energy if you want to hack lasting vigor and balance.
Organizing your office desk in line with Feng Shui principles isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Pick the right desk, put it in the commanding spot to plant the seeds of business success, and stack the worktop with just a few extras to keep your career and private life in sync. With a Feng Shui-styled desk in your business corner, your business is positioned on a fast and successful track.
Emma Lawson is a passionate writer, online article editor and a health enthusiast at High Style Life. In her spare time, she likes to do research, and write articles to create awareness regarding healthy lifestyle. She also strives to suggest innovative home remedies that can help you lead a quality and long life. Connect with @EmmahLawson on Twitter.
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