07 Apr 3 Ways Your Office May be Taking You Out

If you’re having a bad day at work, you can probably pinpoint the issue to deadline stress, performance anxiety, co-worker annoyances or a hundred other reasons. There may be a combination of things that are contributing generously to you having the proverbial bad day. One factor that often doesn’t get added to the list and that could help you on all counts is the physical space where you work—-even if it’s a shared office—-even if it’s a corporate corner office—-even if it’s a cubicle—-even if it’s a spare room in your house.

Here are 3 Feng Shui issues that may be contributing to your bad day.

1.  Where’s your vision?
This doesn’t just address the presence and position of windows which are important but reserved for another newsletter. This vision question is about what’s hanging on your walls. Anything inspiring going on there? Anything that reminds you of who you are and where you’re going? Anything from nature? Studies show that looking at an object of nature or a picture of an object will bring your blood pressure down and cause your breathing to smooth out.

It’s easy to forget why we’re working so hard when we’re buried with details and deadlines. Put something on your wall that raises your vision back up to your original intentions for being there...

2. Dealing with overwhelm.
I’ve found in my own life as well as those of my clients that overwhelm is exasperated when the office is also overwhelmed. This brings up the argument whether you’re feeling overwhelmed because your office is overwhelmed or whether your office is overwhelmed because you are. Doesn’t matter. Take the overwhelm out of your office and it will diminish in your perception as well.

If you have an abundance of tall items (book cases, overhead cabinets, bulletin boards, file cabinets), you have set yourself up to feel overwhelmed. Keep in mind that some of these things may not be tall when you stand up, but when you’re sitting at your desk the ratio between you and these things is different because you are significantly shorter. Furthermore, if these tall things are not restful, relaxing and inspiring, you are thrust down the road of overwhelm. Assess what can go to eliminate some of these feelings or place a plant or a piece of art on a high shelf or on top of a tall cabinet to change your feeling.

3. Losing track of what’s going on?
Sometimes our frustration at work has to do with trying to keep up. It’s as though the world is traveling at warp speed and we’re still pedaling a bike. If you are not facing the entry to your office space, you are giving yourself a message that, in no way, is helpful to creating an office space that supports you and your efforts.

An obvious action here is to turn the desk around so you can see the door. Simple enough unless there’s no room at all in a very small office or you’re working in a cubicle. Then, like the rearview experience in your car, position a mirror so you can see what’s happening behind you, enabling you to work at your desk as usual but with a shift of your eyes have full command of who might be coming up from behind.

Being successful at work requires a lot of factors—-Feng Shui being a critical one. Create a space that is supportive and inspirational so that your office becomes a positive and crucial part of your team.