If you own a home, or a space you call your own you’ve more than likely added your mark to it. Whether it’s through splashes of color, artifacts, or images of family and friends, you warm up the room with items you find comforting and possibly even inspiring.
With time this design may get worn out, or just boring. And when you’re bored with something it tends to detract from the positive energy that drives creativity and motivation. Is your workspace for class inspiring? Does it move you to engage in discussion posts more, or finish that term paper with vigor? If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to try something new.
Take a page out of the art of Feng Shui. The practice of feng shui is based on the flow of ch’i (pronounced chee)–the life force or vital energy that links people with their surroundings. Ch’i is the medium by which energy moves into an environment.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts for applying Feng Shui to your home office (repost from care2 make a difference):
- DO sit in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room to have a “command” position.
- DO keep your back toward a corner or a wall for support. If a post protrudes from the corner or wall, correct it by covering it with a hanging plant’s draping foliage.
- DON’T face away from the door if you are conducting business from home. *Business will symbolically come to you through the door, so don’t turn your back on it.
- DO put your computer in the North or West area of your office to enhance your creativity.
- DO have a good balance of yin and yang when decorating your workspace. Balance light and dark colors, soft and hard surfaces, and smooth and rough textures in your choice of window treatments, furniture, and flooring.
- DON’T have any mirrors in your office, as they can reflect negative energy from clients to other people in the room.
Suggested colors and “cures” for your home office (repost from SOHO America):
- Yellow stimulates clarity of thought, creativity, and mental activity; an excellent choice for a home office. Note: Yellow promotes discipline.
- A blue–green color can be soothing, yet creative – a good color choice for writers.
- Oranges and other warm desert colors stimulate socialization and collaboration.
- Your ceiling should be painted a light color – a dark color will make you feel as if there’s a dark cloud hanging over your head as you work.
- Get rid of clutter in your office. Eliminating the clutter will help to clear away certain problems and make room for something new and desirable to enter.
- If you don’t have a view outside from where you sit, hang a plant or a picture of a plant in your line of view to bring the outdoors inside for a calming effect.
If you’re looking to make a change in your decor, or arrange some furniture take a stab at the art of Feng Shui. It will give you a small break from your studies to sit back and reflect, giving you a fresher perspective on your return to the computer.
– By J. Mason
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