Office Feng Shui

I've been doing a lot of research on how to make my office space less dreary and more energetic. The office that I work in is filled with lots of different personalities and energy. Sometimes the energy is overwhelming and causes me to lose focus. At times, I step out of the office just to breathe and close my eyes for a few moments. It helps me clear my mind before I enter the hectic environment again. 

Recently, I have been changing my surroundings to better represent my personality and to allow for the good energy to flow around me. Here are a few ideas that I have found that can help make your office or cube more amenable to free flowing energy.

1) Buy a low maintenance plant. Not only will it help brighten up the place but it will also help purify the air. A few plants that need very little light include the Areca Palm, Peppermint, English Ivy, Lemon Balm, Golden Pothos, and Gardenia. There are several other plants that will work as well but these are a few that I personally like and have the potential to make the space fragrant.

2) Surround yourself with pictures. I know that most of us have photos on our phones and some think it is a waste of time to frame and display photos. I couldn't disagree more. My home is surrounded with pictures in lovely frames and each time I glance at them, I smile.  Having such a photo in your office space will remind you of a good time even if you're having a bad day.

3) Do you have a favorite quote or song? Put it up on your wall or tape a post it to your monitor. I have a gratitude list and I see it everyday. I like to change up the quotes from time to time. It all just depends on my mood but I always keep it lighthearted. 

4) Add some color to your space. Sometimes we don't have a whole lot of space but I make it a point to use colored folders and colorful office supplies. Everything always being white, beige and black doesn't invigorate me. Color it up!

5) Keep your space organized. Disorganization doesn't allow the brain to be able to focus on one task as easily as it could. I try to keep my space clutter free and before I leave every night I make neat piles and to do lists.

6) TO DO LIST! I do LOVE these! I prefer using colored pens on colored paper and creating lists of things that must be done. There is deep satisfaction in crossing off something from a list. Sigh! Beautiful!

7) Desk fountain. Depending on your work environment and space it could be possible to have a mini water fountain running in the background. Not only is the sound pristine but it also helps drown out unnecessary noises. 

8) Himalayan salt lamp. OK so the absolute fabulous thing about these are that they can be left on without any issue. Not only that but they have started making some that have USB plugs to connect right to your computer! How amazing is that? These will help to purify the air around you and they have a warm orange glow that soothes. 

There are a lot more suggestions and ideas out there. I will keep posting as they come to me. 

Namaste.

Energy Vampire

I usually have an abundance of energy. I wake up in the morning and feel energetic and ready to take on the world. I'm certainly a morning person and have always been. For three weeks, it felt like I had nothing left within. It was the oddest thing. I would wake up, sprawled across my bed with zero zest. I pulled my clothes on, walked the dogs and drove to work. Work was misery as well! I tried to stay awake and noticed that little things were irking me. I was not my typical social self either. Everything was a haze and I simply had nothing to offer to anyone. This is odd because I am always the person who people come to for advice. I listen, examine and give some sort of inspiration. It made me sad when I realized that I was not the lack of energy was causing my friends to stay away. Finally, it culminated when I admitted that I was unwell. The winter had done a number on me and I had a chest cold, flu and achy muscles. All the things that I was doing to get better didn't appear to be working so my energy went lower and lower.

One day I bounced back. I could feel that the energy was rising. This came after I accepted that I was physically sick and that I needed to give my body a rest. I spent an entire weekend in bed. I needed the sleep and my body thanked me for it. Sometimes we want so hard to fight the illness that the fight itself takes away all of our energy. I accepted my lowered immune system and stopped working so hard to fix it. Instead, I let my body fix itself. We can't always control everything and illness may be a way for the body to tell us to slow down. I certainly slowed down because I had no choice. 

For those three weeks I was not myself but eventually I gave my body what it needed. Peace. Silence. Serenity. I turned the lights out in my room, put an eye pillow on my eyes with the smell of lavender relaxing me and I allowed my body to pull me to slumber. 

I'm back now and I'm feeling cheerful as usual but I now know that it is pointless to fight against my own body. It knows what it needs and I must listen. 

Stay True

Working in a diverse environment can provide for an alluring flow of knowledge and energy. Everyone comes from various backgrounds and experiences. They have so much to offer one another if they are willing to do so. There are a few complications in this realm because it’s always wise to keep personal and business separate as it can lead to various issues. My philosophy is to go in to work with kindness and the willingness to do my best. Keep your personal problems in your personal realm. I would never take out my bad mood from some personal situation on a co-worker. Sadly, I know many people that do in fact take out their aggression on unsuspecting coworkers.

In fact, I was one of those unsuspecting co-workers at one point. I came in early one morning and was grabbing some water, internally repeating my mantra and preparing for a great day at work. A fellow coworker walked in and I greeted her with a cheerful hello expecting a similar response. Instead, she blew up on me and cursed me out. I stood there in shock for a few moments and searched her face for an answer. All I saw was anger and frustration. So I said “excuse me?” in a genuinely confused voice and she repeated her tirade. I took one look at her and abruptly walked away. I was not going to engage in her vile attitude and I decided to simply go back to my desk.

Several hours later I heard that she had had a very bad evening and I was the first person she saw in the morning. I was the unfortunate individual that she took all of her emotions out on from the night before. The reason that I decided not to engage in her unprofessional behavior was because I did not want to meet anger with anger. Not only that but I was not going to allow her behavior to alter my attitude. I was in a great mood and nobody was going to disturb that!

She eventually apologized but the issue with this young woman was that she had a history of unprofessional dialogue at work and she was very negative. I pulled myself away from her path and ensured that her energy would not touch me. I have no hard feelings for her unwarranted attack.

The lesson that I learned was that because of the diversity in the work place; we must learn to adjust and sometimes even move away from individuals who don’t share our values. I don’t mean religious or political ideology. I believe in spreading happiness and knowledge at work instead of negativity and hate. Some people do not and when I interact with those people I am careful that they do not damage my state of mind. It is certainly easy to fall in to the trap when everyone around you is miserable or complaining. My suggestion is to get up from your seat every hour and take a few minutes to stretch, breathe and remind yourself why you are doing the work that you do.

Remember that NO one has the power to change who you are and who you want to be EXCEPT for you!