NFIB

Feng Shui at Work
03/ 12/ 2002


It may not be your job that causes you to dread going to work each day. The problem may be bad Feng Shui! Everyone, it seems, is talking about Feng Shui, an ancient Oriental doctrine based on the principle that environmental design can change your life for the better -- or worse. The philosophy of Feng Shui is being incorporated into many contemporary offices to promote success, wealth, health, happiness, opportunities, and feelings of peace. In today's Workshop, writer Edith Helmich discusses how to incorporate Feng Shui into your workplace.

Feng Shui experts say that good Feng Shui -- an environment that allows the free flow of energy (Chi) -- enhances turnover of products, attracts good business and swells profits. On an individual level, good Feng Shui expands your career and attracts mentors and patrons in the workplace. Improved relationships and greater contentment can be the result of good Feng Shui.

Bad Feng Shui, on the other hand, is believed to precipitate severe problems, cause reputations to fall, and create devastation in your personal life and business!

If you are still wondering, "What is Feng Shui?," the first step is to learn how to pronounce it! Try "fung shway," and then move on to Chi, which is pronounced, "chee." There are many books, of all sizes and degrees of expertise, available on the subject.

Some examples of the things that you will learn from those texts apply directly to the role of Feng Shui in your office. Consider the following recommendations about office design (with solutions if the recommended placement is not possible):

1. You should have a full view of the room's entrance door by merely looking up from your desk. (You can position a mirror to reflect the door.)

2. You should be able to see outside while sitting at your desk. (You can hang a picture of a pleasing landscape in your field of vision.)

3. Your desk should not be placed at the side of the door. (You can place a screen in the space between your computer desk and the doorway.)

4. Your office should be centrally located in a desirable location. (You can add high voltage lights and paint the walls a bright, light color to make the area more visible.)

The rationale behind each of these recommendations (and others) is compatible with Western reasoning as well as Eastern wisdom. In the first instance, it is a bad idea to have people entering the room when you are unaware of their presence. In the second, a pleasant view provides variety and relieves tired eyes. The third recommendation refers to a lack of privacy and the distraction caused by traffic. The final example emphasizes the importance of being visible in the workplace and of having a workspace that reflects the importance of your job.

With similar explanations, Feng Shui unfolds a way of organizing and structuring your environment so that you feel good and the people around you feel good. The elements of good design work to affect your psychological, physical and intellectual well being. Subtle environmental changes often make dramatic differences, according to advocates of this 3,000 year old transcendental theory.

If the thought of adding colors, silk plants, and rearranging the furniture in your office is intriguing, it is time to wander into a bookstore and peruse some of the Feng Shui books. The least that can happen is that your office will be more attractive and more functional, and -- who knows -- wealth and fame may be just waiting for the good chi to flow around the new placement of your desk, right past the wind chimes, as it reflects your new prosperity from the crystal hanging from the ceiling fan!

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