In my work as an Interiors Therapist and Feng Shui expert, I’m often invited to homes where things aren’t going as well as their owners would like. They realise their unsatisfactory work/life balance affects their relationships, health, and self-esteem. Even when money is flowing in, they know something is missing.
Take the initiative to try something different. Opening the mind to the possibility that perhaps other people who use Feng Shui for success like Oprah Winfrey, Georgina Rodrigues, and George Clooney might just be onto something, is often the start. “If it’s working for them, it can work for me too.”
It makes complete sense to implement traditional Feng Shui to trigger new levels of positivity and neutralize the areas of negativity present in every home. Feng Shui does more than boost productivity, focus, and success; it adds happiness too.
There’s a lot of generic misinformation about Feng Shui out there, leading to assumptions about adding water in certain places or red throw blankets in others (please don’t), so this seems a good opportunity to provide some simple information and confirm that the process works for real people in real homes without moving doors, adding kitsch ornaments, or adding annoying water features.
Whether you want to experiment by scratching the surface with some simple, practical, and helpful guidance, or go full-in to understand the unique energy of your home with an assessment, there is something to be gained from tapping into feng shui in every home business environment.
Principle of Feng Shui
The principle of Feng Shui divides each floor of a home into a 3×3 grid of nine areas (guas) based on compass directions. Each area relates to a specific aspect of life:
Centre: Health
North: Career
South: Fame/Reputation
East: Family
West: New opportunities
Southwest: Relationships
Southeast: Wealth/abundance
Northwest: Travel/helpful friends
Northeast: Learning/spirituality
Feng Shui in the Home Office: Tips
Armed with this knowledge, we activate positive energy in each area to improve lifestyle and achievement. Big business including Amazon, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Coca Cola and HSBC have used it to enhance their success and bottom line.
Of course, you don’t need a mansion or global HQ to apply Feng Shui. When used properly, it’s just as effective in the smallest home. But if you’re not quite ready to have an expert Feng Shui analysis and activate its unique energy, what you can do today to amplify the positive vibes in your home?
Choose your space
If you have a dedicated home office, take advantage of one of the Feng Shui energy centres for career, wealth, a good reputation or new opportunities. For those studying or undertaking research, the northeast represents knowledge. Stand in the centre of your home and use your smartphone compass to work out in which compass direction your office is situated.
If your workspace is in a bedroom, kitchen or shared room, you can still make use of the compass and use these Feng Shui for success inspired tips:
The Command Position
The position of the desk is incredibly important. Ideally from the chair you have a direct or peripheral line of sight to the door, while your back is ‘supported’ by a solid wall. This inspires strength and confidence. You will be immediately aware of anyone entering the space, even when immersed in your work.
In contrast, a desk pushed against a wall situates the occupant with their back to the room. This has a twofold negative impact, firstly all they see is the section of wall immediately in front of them, which limits perspective and prevents them seeing ‘the bigger picture’. Secondly, they may feel a sense of apprehension, or find work, challenging situations and people ‘creep up on them’ unexpectedly. This placement makes it difficult to focus, and productivity is compromised. It’s no surprise to find the chief executive of a company sitting in the command position, while junior clerks face the wall.
In your home office, always be the boss.
Ditch the disorder
If you have files and reference books, consider the visual impact they create. Is it supporting and inspiring you, or causing mental chaos? Clutter creates confusion, so whether shelves are situated in your eyeline or visible on video calls, show up as neat and organized. FYI, if you choose to blur your background on Zoom people subconsciously wonder what you are trying to hide.
Feng shui magnifies whatever is around it, so if it’s beneficial, you’ll profit –
If it’s a mess, you won’t
Use art and décor to inspire positive Feng Shui results
It’s easy to underestimate the motivation a picture, statement or photo can have, and the simplest way to experiment with Feng Shui is to add something relevant to the appropriate area of your home to stimulate a positive vibe. If you’d love to work with a particular company, put their logo in your north. Want to increase your salary, put a declaration of your worth in the southeast. Add a globe to your northwest if you’re longing to travel more and write a declaration of intent to your home to define the goals you to achieve this year and put it in the west. It doesn’t have to be on display, it still works when tucked out of sight.
Keep it clean
Whether the office sits in a dedicated room or on the kitchen table, always clear paperwork from the workspace at night. Don’t forget to freshen it up in the morning. Citrus scents are known to aid concentration and intention. Ideally, use natural rather than synthetic chemicals for this purpose.
Support body and mind
Be sure to have a comfortable ergonomic chair that supports the back, shoulders, and ideally the head. You’ll find these are available in a range of colours, so there’s no need to compromise the style or décor of your home, however, I’d recommend avoiding strong colours like red or orange as these can increase tension and stress levels.
Storage
If you’re working in a living space or bedroom, invest in attractive, and if necessary, lockable storage for confidential paperwork. This smoothes the transition from office to family space at the end of the day.
Sufficient light is essential
Ideally, this will be achieved by sitting close to a window, but during short or cloudy days, a daylight lamp increases lumen levels to stimulate the brain, engage clarity of thought, and improve mood. A dark, dingey room will contribute to depression and anxiety, so if these are a factor when working at home, review light levels and supplement where necessary.
Don’t store trash
Remove any rubbish from on or around your desk each time you take a break or go to the kitchen.
Get the gratitude habit
Start the day by writing down three things for which you are grateful – try and choose something different each day. By prioritising something positive at the beginning of the day, you immediately raise your personal vibe.
This article can only gently guide you to the merits of using Feng Shui for success in your home. However, there is much to be gained from having a better understanding of the process and implementing the theories in all parts of your life.
