Home Office Feng Shui: Organize your workspace

Practicing Feng Shui can be a great way to maintain a happy balance in your office space. The key elements of water, fire, wood, and earth can help you find a calm balance and generate more energy and productivity.

In today’s fifth and final installment of our five-part series on Feng Shui tips for your home office space, this week we’re talking about how to organize your workspace.

Part Five: Organizing Your Workspace

tidy up your desk

To reduce the amount of clutter and scattered piles of paper on your desk, find desk accessories that fit your needs. Wire baskets, trays, pencil holders and small containers can be used on and in your desk to keep supplies in order. Use sustainable products like bamboo, and avoid anything that is not good for the environment, like plastics, acrylics, and disposable items.

use shelves

If you refer to manuals or books during your workday, place them on a shelf for easy access. When arranging the shelves, put the smaller books on the inside and the taller books on the outside. This system looks easier on the eye and will keep your books more upright.

Don’t you use the bookcases solely for books? It’s fine, but keep it organized and tidy. Review the contents of the shelves every six months and remove those items that are no longer relevant. When “removing” such items, consider selling the item on Craigslist, recycling, or listing the item on Freecycle.

have a filing system

If you don’t already have one, consider picking up (again, Craigslist and Freecycle) a filing cabinet and some eco-friendly file folders. There’s no better way to keep track of your paperwork, and if you use lots of specifically labeled folders, you’ll find everything you need quickly.

If you want to go one step further, go paperless and scan everything into Evernote and/or Google Drive.

control your cables

Chances are your work desk is covered in cables, especially if you have a desktop computer. Messy cables can be stressful, so make sure you find a way to keep them together and organized. There are many options available, from twist ties to more expensive clip packs.

Advice: Save those bread ties and reuse them. Plus, old-fashioned curly phone cords work wonders. Look in your “junk drawers”…you probably have one in there. Always be sure to use a surge protector for safety and longevity of the equipment.

Advice: At the end of the workday, turn everything off and unplug the surge protector from the wall. They add up to 30% of your electricity bill.

you are not a library

Unless you’re using them, old manuals, guides, and magazines can quickly become an out-of-control mess. If you want to keep them for some reason, try hiding them from view but in an organized way. Using slippers or closets can be quite effective. Again, spend some time getting organized and scanning the smaller items into Evernote and/or Google Drive.

Avoid food in your office

If you need to have a snack or meal in your office, make sure you clean it up as quickly as possible. However, as a general rule of thumb, if you work from home, it’s best to eat in your kitchen. Food creates clutter and junk, which you don’t want in your workspace.

Order mail immediately

When you retrieve your daily mail, be sure to sort it before entering your office. Keep the recycle bin on the way from the mailbox to your office. Be sure to drop off personal mail elsewhere and only bring business mail to your office. Have a designated place for it and try to order it at least once a week, but every day is much better. Recycle or archive items you no longer need.

End each day with a cleanse

It is important that you tidy up your desk at the end of each day, and you should try to make it part of your daily work routine. This way, you’ll be able to start each day with an organized office and be ready for whatever the day may bring. This means that every morning they will start out calm and relaxed, instead of being stressed about walking into a messy room. If you can’t do it every day, make sure you do it on Friday afternoons. This includes your to-do lists, picking up, organizing, and vacuuming. Personally, I do most of this on Thursdays, since Fridays are garbage day.

make lists

The act of making a to-do list can help clear your mind and keep you organized. It’s important to keep track of what needs to be done in a day, and lists can prevent you from suddenly feeling overwhelmed or having a panic attack. If necessary, make a new list after lunch, or in the late afternoon, for the next morning’s tasks. Try using Asana or Evernote.

Create a “Only work” Area

After all the hard work you’ve put into creating a clutter-free space filled with good energy and Chi, the last thing you want is for clutter to take over and destroy everything. To avoid this, he does not use his work area for anything other than work. His home office is designed with work in mind, so no one should be playing on his computer or leaving a mess in his room.

Following these 50 simple Feng Shui tips and best practices will help you create positive energy in your office and organize the movement of this energy. Remember:

• balance the elements

• Focus lights and use colors

• Decorate with Constancy and Plants

• Use sounds and scents

• order your space

If you can do these things, then you will have a Feng Shui work environment that will not only be a productive place for you, but also a refuge.