Metal desks are great for focus, but they may be cold. Warm them up with a houseplant (more on those later!) or wooden fruit bowl. Ideally, you’ll be able to position your desk so you have a clear view of the door (and anyone who is approaching) when you’re sitting down. But if you can’t move your desk to command the room, you can place a mirror on your desk so you can see what’s behind you. Speaking of backs, sitting with a solid wall behind you—or a very solid chair backing—is always great feng shui! Yellow-tinted and fluorescent lights can make us feel fatigued and dull, and people prone to migraines may find them problematic. Research finds that Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (the twisty ones) may cause skin damage. LED bulbs, the more energy efficient choice, have upsides and downsides as well. They flicker in a hard-to-perceive way that can be disruptive to our eyes and mind, and they contain lots of blue light that can cause eye damage. After a lot of research, I’ve come to the conclusion that old-school incandescent full-spectrum light bulb may be the best way to go to promote a healthy, harmonious energy. Be sure to shut them off as soon as you leave a room to save energy. Adding plants is another great way to clear and freshen the air. Not to mention, plants themselves are an incredible demonstration of creativity and growth. Healthy plants are great feng shui just about anywhere, so just place it somewhere it has a chance to thrive. The “wealthy” plants in feng shui are not particularly air-cleaning, but they are gorgeous and great for anchoring your intention in a room. Some of the more wealth-symbolic plants are succulents, jade, and “lucky” bamboo. That being said, if a plant, tree, or anything symbolic chosen for “feng shui” reasons doesn’t inspire you, it’s not really worth getting. Let love rule your plant choices. Actually, let love rule all your choices. Bringing more of your heart to your workdays can be the most innovative and magnetic choice you make. Start by surrounding yourself with much more of what you love—color, art, scent, space, feel, memories, sparkle, nature—and let that inspired energy fuel all that you do. Clear, bright energy unlocks more brilliance. If you have a home office, you can do any type of space clearing that appeals to you. Burn sage, Palo Santo, incense, herbs, salt, or all of the above to clear the air and lighten the feeling in your space. Plug-in USB aromatherapy diffusers have brightened many a corporate office I’ve worked on too. She’s a Stanford-educated art historian with more than a decade of experience in design yet her approach to space is simple. Claudat is a longtime mindbodygreen contributor and instructor (she may have had a hand in the hundreds of plants in mindbodygreen headquarters!), and her work has been featured in design and lifestyle publications around the world. You can work with her from wherever you are in the world in her online Feng Shui Camps and through her Online Feng Shui Consultations. You can sign up for her weekly Feng Shui Rituals, including rituals for every New and Full Moon, right here!
