By now most people are at least slightly familiar with the subject of Feng Shui and how it relates to the circulation of healthy life energy or Ch'i ("Chee") throughout your environment. Feng Shui is commonly associated with creating a healthy and supportive home environment however its principles can also be successfully applied to business setting as well.

This article focuses on several easy Feng Shui fundamentals and, specifically, how you can create a work environment that will not only nurture your productivity and efficiency, but also improve your overall sense of well-being on a daily basis. Here are three essentials for a supportive office:

One: The first step is to create healthy, flowing Ch'i within your office space. You can accomplish this by clearing out any physical clutter and maintaining a clean, well-organized office where the energy is best able to circulate. There is a theory in Feng Shui which contends that a cluttered physical environment is representative of a cluttered subconscious mind. Specifically, when things are in a state of disorder and stagnation it's very difficult, if not impossible, to mentally, emotionally and physically move forward in the direction of your goals and aspirations. The objective is to simplify wherever you can by doing away with anything that is not currently serving any (constructive) purpose in your life. This means eliminating the excess ("trimming away the fat"), via: prioritizing and filing what you need, tossing or delegating what you don't need, and arranging your office space to best support you. Remember:

~ Add and Remove … Every time you file a new piece of paperwork, glance through the pre-existing folder to see what you can get rid of. The ideal situation is to avoid accumulating needless paper while maintaining current and relevant records.

In general it's a good idea to go through your files and paperwork annually (if not quarterly). Items that may initially seem important and worthy of holding on to can often become outdated overnight. The proper circulation of paperwork begins with the investment of a large sturdy trash receptacle that makes eliminating unnecessary clutter easy.

~ Location, location, location… Documents that you need only limited contact to, say for tax purposes and such, should be filed accordingly. The general rule is, the more often you need access to something the more accessible it should be. (Prime locations include your desktop, followed by your desk drawers/file, then your credenza drawers. Lower priority items should be placed in your office filing cabinet or storage area.)

Two: Does your office furniture and lighting support you as it should? Our physical well-being plays an integral role in our overall state of being. And, interestingly, many of the physical illnesses that we experience can actually be the result of the physical environment that surrounds us. These physical aliments can also serve as annoying distractions that prevent us from accomplishing what we set out to…

For instance, I had a client who complained of persistent back, neck and shoulder pain ever since redesigning his office space. Following my assessment I suggested that he either reposition his desk and chair, or place a large mirror on the wall in front of him in order to eliminate these problems.

As a result of rearranging his office my client had inadvertently repositioned himself so that he now sat with his back to the door. Every time someone would enter the room, or he would hear noise out in the hallway, he would instinctively turn around twisting and turning his back and neck to see what was going on behind him. I suggested that he either sit facing the door, or hang a mirror up on the wall in front of him which would offer him a clear, unobstructed view of the door behind him.

In Feng Shui the belief is that sitting with your back to the door (particularly in an office environment), symbolizes venerability or,"being stabbed in the back." Positioning one's self in the "power position", that is, sitting so that you have a clear view of the door, on the other hand, demonstrates your interest, awareness and on-going involvement with your physical surroundings and those within it.

In addition to placement, Feng Shui principles also include furniture style. It is imperative that your chair offers you both comfort and support for extended periods of time. Likewise, the "ideal" desk, table and credenza should be rounded, without sharp corners. (Also known as "poison arrows.") If your current desk or side table does have sharp, protruding corners, be careful to position them so they are not directly facing you or that they do not fall in a high traffic area where they can injure an unsuspecting thigh. Another solution includes placing a plant such as a creeping Charlie or ivy plant to soften or "buffer" the corner.

Proper lighting also plays key role in your environment. The ideal situation is to have a balance of nourishing light ~ either natural sunlight or electric lighting. You want to be mindful that you receive sufficient lighting so that you are not straining your eyes, while also making sure that it is not overly harsh or depleting, which was the case with another one of my clients…

I was recently hired by a corporate executive who was suffering from another type of health problem... She had been experiencing chronic headaches and fatigue which was having an increasingly negative effect one her overall productivity. In this particular case, my client worked in an office setting with very harsh florescent lighting. I suggested that she not use the overhead florescent lighting at all but, rather, bring in a desk lamp or two and start utilizing the wonderful natural sunlight that she received from the outdoors. It made a huge difference for her on all levels. She later reported to me that her fellow employees started to request that they hold their weekly meetings in her office because it felt "so good" in there.

Three: What does your symbolic imagery and artwork tell you about your business life? It's important to note that the events that take place in your life are directly related to the visual affirmations that feed your conscious and unconscious minds ~ favorably or unfavorably ~ each day. For this reason it is essential that your environment positively supports you through appropriate artwork and symbolism. Be mindful of what your artwork is saying to you … is it cheerful and uplifting and representative of what you want in life?

Studies have been conducted in the United Kingdom which indicate a strong connection between artwork (subject matter) and its influence over people. Not surprisingly, artwork that includes pictures or paintings of happy individuals or inspiring landscape scenes have a much more favorable effect on people than, say, abstract art which proves to be confusing to the mind and less soothing to the soul.

I was hired by a young sales executive (at the prompting of his girlfriend), when his sales volume took a sudden and unexpected plunge. Upon entering his office I was immediately drawn to a sizable oil painting that resided on the wall behind his desk. The painting was of a great ship on the open seas with large waves crashing all around it. When I asked the young man what significance this artwork held for him he confided to me that it really held none. Apparently he had recently purchased the painting as a way of giving his office a more "professional" look.

When I explained to him the symbolism of the artwork (i.e.: "A rough journey" or "stormy seas"), he seemed astonished. He had, in fact, begun to struggle with maintaining his high sales volume just after hanging this artwork in his office. The moral of this story… Never underestimate the power of your subconscious mind.

In Feng Shui furniture placement and style, the use of color, lighting and artwork isn't an arbitrary decision... Rather, it is a decision that is based on the health and well-being of the occupant(s) for now and for the future. The underlying objective is to align ourselves most securely and supportively so that the energy within our surroundings is best able to nurture us… every moment of every day, as it should.

© 2000 Kathryn Holt