Many companies have adjusted their protocols and made exceptions for remote work. Those finding themselves working from home may find it challenging to create a sense of normalcy. Clear work/life boundaries when working remotely are essential to maintain stress. For example, lacking a designated space for career tasks may make you easily distracted or unmotivated in your work.
Feng Shui is a traditional Chinese concept going back thousands of years, intended to harmonize your environment with the world around you. Many people believe that the practice is just about improving their living space. While this is part of the process, it’s not the purpose.
Feng Shui can give you the knowledge you need to create a workspace that works for you on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. If you will be home more, shouldn’t you make sure you’re in a space that fills your spirit, encourages creativity, and provides rest for you?
Create a Functional Remote Workspace
Feng shui invites us to do more than arrange our homes in a specific order. We must also learn to ground and protect our energy. This enriching life lesson is module one in my course, Feng Shui Your Life. When you have an awakened life, you will have an awakened home. Use the time as you prepare to create your workspace to go inward and assess the following:
- Are you happy in your environment? Why or why not?
- Are there current stressors that need your attention?
- What kind of home life do you want to create for you and your family?
Beloved, it’s so important to feel grounded, safe, inspired, and relaxed in your workspace. I’m going to help you get there.
Feng Shui Is For Any Sized Space
Our homes are as unique as the individuals living in them. A city studio apartment may not have enough space for your guests to sleep, much less a designated workspace. The beautiful thing about feng shui is that it allows us to work with what we have without losing any immense benefits. Feng shui empowers us to “reverse” the sheer energy of a space with small, intentional acts.
Beloveds, let’s take a moment for a self-assessment to know if your current workspace is working for you. If you answer yes to most of these questions, it’s time to implement feng shui!
I do not have a designated space in my home to work, study, and complete career-related tasks.
My work-related things are scattered around my house.
I do have a designated workspace, but it is cluttered and untidy. I’m constantly losing important things!
I work from my bed or couch every day.
My workspace makes me feel overwhelmed, unorganized, exhausted, and unproductive.
I have a tidy home office but find it is missing something because I do not feel inspired or productive.
Regardless of the size of your home, feng shui helps you create a home office that inspires workflow, inspiration, and peace. For example, working from a studio apartment can still be within the best practices of feng shui and leave you feeling prosperous and productive at the end of your workday. Every remote worker can use a few feng shui tips beginning this week!
What Does a Feng Shui Workspace Look Like for Remote Workers?
First, I’d like to share a few workspace examples that aren’t in alignment with feng shui. They’re incredibly common but are detrimental to your overall energy flow. These working habits will stunt the flow of creativity lead to headaches and eventual burnout.
- Regularly working from your bed or couch
- Working while watching TV
- Having a cluttered home office or workspace
- Continue working in a space that does not inspire or energize you
Be especially mindful of the first point listed. Working from a bed or couch can lead to neck and back pain. When you’re not sitting correctly at a desk, your body is out of alignment, restricting good blood flow and straining your neck and back. Distractions such as having a TV on can prove to be a distraction. Clutter acts as a block for productivity and growth. You’re bound to feel stuck and stagnant in your work with any of these listed scenarios. Now, with those “feng shui no-nos” in mind, we can work through creating an energizing home office for you to be at your best!
Setting Up Your Remote Feng Shui Office Space
I have feng shuied many fantastic businesses from large corporations like DreamWorks, where the company flew me to do the offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I worked with Hyundai cars and guided integrating feng shui into the car’s design through flow and shape, and ergonomics. I feng shuied Bloomingdales, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and tons and tons of smaller businesses. These corporations later provided wonderful feedback on how their employees experienced a boost in productivity and creativity as a result. Like many of you, I now work remotely most of the time. I’m sharing some of my favorite feng shui tips I have used to create a functional space both for corporations and my home here in Ireland.
The Bagua Map
Classical feng shui brings together the science and mathematical direction for each home area. The optimum career-related area of the home is the north area of the house.
Of course, everyone may not choose where their home workspace is due to limited space. Many remote workers have had to “make it work” and adjust to last-minute changes. That’s ok because you can divide your office into the nine areas of the Bagua Map and also add the following to increase your office’s energy:
Create “Mountain Support”
I want you to feel supported in your workspace. In feng shui, this is called mountain support. Ensure you have a solid wall behind you. This allows your nervous system to relax when you know nothing is going on behind your back. When your nervous system is relaxed, you’re more productive!
Add a Mirror
Mirrors are used in feng shui to give a sense of expansion to the space and make it brighter. Even more importantly, mirrors in your office space can help usher in creativity.
Feng Shui and Artwork
Who and what is supporting you in your business and career? Place artwork on the wall behind you representing your support system— the universe, world, family, and company logo. Use art that inspires you and motivates your best work on the wall across from your desk. What are you working towards? Use a photo of a house if you’re saving to purchase a home. Place a picture of your family or a place you wish to travel.
Use Color To Increase Your Energy
Feng shui teaches us that the color we use on our walls and decor matter. Each color is representative of a mood and intention.
Green improves health
Blue ushers in success
Yellow creates happiness
White helps with creativity
Earth tones relax
Red and orange increases energy
Invite Nature In
Place live plants in your space not only increases the air purity but increases the calm, nurturing energy of your home office. I also encourage you to use amethyst to invite prosperity into your career and life. Place it on your desk or nearby shelf where you can see it.
Place Your Desk Towards The Office Entrance
Make sure your desk is positioned facing the entrance of your home office but not in line with it. Set your desk diagonally from the doorway. Doing this empowers you in your workspace because you can see when someone enters your office. This creates chi (positive energy). If you have limited space and are working from a dining room table or standing desk, position yourself to meet the entrance so you can see all of the activity from where you are.
Enjoy the View
Having a window in your home office is a beautiful way to invite inspiration into your work. Peeking out at nature during your workday will boost your mood and foster creativity.
Rid Your Space Of Clutter
Feng shui teaches that clutter in our homes represents inner chaos. When you set up your remote workstation, be mindful of keeping your desk or tabletop free of unnecessary items. At the end of each day, clean your desk, put away things piled up, such as paperwork, and remove any trash from the bins. A clear workspace allows for clear communication, direction, and overall calm.
Feng Shui For Wealth
Keep wealth and success in mind as you optimize your space using feng shui. You’re worthy of abundance, beloved! I welcome you to watch my video 3 Top Tips Feng Shui for Wealth as you set your home’s energy up for success.
Before You Go
It’s essential to create a workspace that works for you personally and professionally. Inside my course Feng Shui Your Life, I show you exactly how to create a life and home that brings you lasting joy. You can be entirely new to the practice of feng shui to join. You don’t need to have any prerequisites, only to desire to improve your life.
If you enjoyed this article, we’d appreciate you sharing it with others that might be interested in changing their lives through the power and science of Feng Shui.
If you’d like to start a new career as a Feng Shui consultant or expand your existing services to clients, take a look at our online Feng Shui Master Certification course.
Love, Amanda
