The assumption that office work is largely stress-free can safely be banished to the realm of legend. All it takes is a look at current figures on workplace-related back problems, eye problems or stress symptoms to see that office jobs aren't all that healthy. However, problems can be avoided through a favorable working environment. Not only does it have an impact on the psyche and promote well-being, but it also has a direct impact on productivity and creativity. If you can have a say in the office or set up a home office at home, you can also get help when it comes to “furnishings”. Chinese harmony theory “Feng Shui (for the workplace)” Get suggestions.
- The career in flux
- What does Feng Shui mean for my office?
- Feng Shui Office: It depends on the area and the location
- With your back to the wall, the windows in view
- Optimize existing workplaces with Feng Shui
The career in flux
Be it the generally tougher job market, the increased competition among colleagues or the fear of many working people about losing their jobs. Be it a good order situation, seasonal overload, a business matter of the heart or the prospect of commissions or promotions - the fact is: the approximately 18 million computer workstations in Germany are increasingly occupied for longer periods of time. The fact that average working hours are increasing and the end of work is increasingly becoming a well-intentioned recommendation rather than an iron law is making the workplace increasingly the center of employees' lives.
Many people pay more attention to the design of their living spaces at home than to that of their workplace - a fact that is somehow logical. Of course, people prefer to be comfortable within their own four walls because they also enjoy spending time there. However, the facts are usually that many employees - especially commuters - only see their home "nest" during the week to sleep and spend the long day at work. Now, of course, there are employers who want their employees to feel comfortable in their company. For example, with attractive office spaces, small extras such as a fitness room, a relaxation area or homemade catering, they not only ensure a good working atmosphere, but also a close employee-employer relationship.
Many employers don't really care about their employees' working environment: the so-called social room is a windowless room with a kitchenette, ideally with a view of the toilets. Carelessly furnished office rooms that are more focused on functionality than on comfort and, as a visual highlight, the houseplant brought from home next to the computers. All day long, countless office workers look at open cable sausages, mountains of files and the shared copier or printer as the center of an open-plan office.
The average employee spends over 2,000 hours a year at work. With so much time to live, it's worth thinking about the how and where of the place. Experience has shown that bosses are reluctant to see their employees come to work with an interior designer and carry out “Feng Shui” renovations on their own. Even in the home office or in the freelancer's office, the existing circumstances and the dear money show one or another limit. Accordingly, the following advice should be seen as an approximation rather than a blueprint for the perfect workplace. Give it a try anyway: A workplace with good “Feng Shui” can also be created by changing small details and approaching the big picture.
What does Feng Shui mean for my office?
What it is about, to put it very simply: the ancient, traditional Chinese theory of harmony “Feng Shui” stands for the interaction of wind (Feng) and water (Shui) and the energy “Chi” that permeates the cosmos.. The art of keeping that energy flowing is the fundamental goal. It should be achieved through the balance of the five elements of “Feng Shui” – fire, earth, water, metal and wood.
Feng Shui - Plants Office: Wood for emerging elements such as columns, houseplants or pillars and the color green; water for bathtubs, aquariums, fountains and blue shades; Fire represents lamps, light and triangular shapes and red, yellow or orange colors; Earth stands for heavy furniture or objects made of clay or ceramic as well as the colors yellow or brown; Of course, metal stands for the same as well as for round shapes and cool colors such as white, gray, gold or silver.
Feng Shui Office: Does the area and the location matter?
A good place to work, they say, is in a thriving business area. An office is in good hands where energy flows and creativity flourishes. According to “Feng Shui” experts, buildings at intersections or premises that had to be abandoned by the previous owner due to poor business should be avoided. A good office should have few corners, projections and edges, but rather have clear shapes and surfaces. Sloping roofs and dark ceiling beams are also said to have a bad effect - the expression about the “suppressed” mood is also true with regard to architecture. And who likes to work with their head tucked between their shoulders?
In a good office, air can circulate freely, so work rooms should generally be well ventilated. However, constant drafts should be avoided; Regular ventilation has a significantly better effect on “Feng Shui in the workplace”. Light also plays an important role: according to prevailing opinion, workspaces should be flooded with light. However, since only a few office owners can afford a fully glazed loft on the Upper Eastside, artificial, daylight-like light can also be used here.
With your back to the wall and the windows in view?
According to “Feng Shui,” creativity requires an environment that eliminates sensory overload. Both color and furniture can create a harmonious calm in the room. Subtle, friendly colors that do not impose themselves create a pleasant atmosphere and are therefore the right choice for a work space. Peace and quiet can also be created with the correct arrangement of furniture. A clearly structured, orderly room concept with appropriately coordinated furniture ensures the right flow of energy. There should be no objects such as wastebaskets or roll-away containers in front of doors or in passageways Office furniture should protrude into glass doors. In other words: The energy should be able to flow unhindered through the doors and rooms towards the windows and balcony doors.
SET UP OFFICE ACCORDING TO FENG SHUI: WHERE DO I PLACE MY DESK?
Meanwhile, desks and workstations should be set up so that the employee's back is facing the wall and the view can wander freely across the room through a window to the outside at any time. To prevent your eyes from getting caught on stacks of paper and other objects, it is recommended to keep the surfaces of the desks as clear as possible - and to banish all types of shelves behind closed doors. An office with good “Feng Shui” therefore has lots of closed cupboards and shelves. The effect is quite obvious: external order should lead to great inner peace - which in turn leads to more concentration and productivity. Feng Shui for the workplace: Choose a desk that is large enough to create order.
Optimize existing workplaces with Feng Shui?
Very few office workers can choose their office, the furnishings or a color concept - let alone the house or the area in which they work. However, with a few tricks you can also help an existing workplace achieve better “Feng Shui for the workplace”. The following example: A desk chair in bright red, a poster of a jumping dolphin in the bright blue sea, a wildly decorated pin board next to the window, a white table, colorful folders and book spines on the shelf? A certain variety of colors is all right - but calm color design is something different. Because the office chair is more difficult to replace than a poster: the dolphin and his sea have to go and the spines of the folders are given labels of the same color, either in the color of the desk or the office chair.
WHAT SHOULD I CARE FOR WHEN SETTING UP MY OFFICE?
Set up an office according to Feng Shui: Colorful book spine walls and loose collections of sheets are best hidden behind cupboard doors with a smooth, calm surface - if this is not possible, the books are sorted by color. The colorful mix of pieces of paper on the pinboard, from expired recipes to the current menu, would do well if they were combed out from time to time. The remaining important notes will appear calmer if they are pinned in linear shapes. If you want to be very careful with Feng Shui in the office, you can write down all the notes on the same pieces of paper with the same pen - this simple trick also creates visual calm on the needle board. Short: Feng Shui Office: Create a calm working environment in terms of color and shape. And last but not least, order pays off: Getting rid of unnecessary things not only reduces annoying searching, but also promotes a distraction-free working day.