Think about it. Every day we get up, go to jobs we don’t really care about and hold our breath until the weekend. When we finally reach Friday, we feel relieved, but it only lasts for a short time. Saturdays are consumed with all the things we didn’t get to do during the week because we work so hard. We tackle all kinds of fun tasks like going to the cleaners, waiting in line at the bank, and the ever-popular grocery shopping. And let’s not forget the cleaning! If we’re really lucky on Sundays, we can collapse to prepare for another wonderful week. A friend recently mentioned that she feels like she’s living a “Groundhog Day” life, where nothing ever changes. 

Can changing our perspective and a little Feng Shui help? You bet it can! Here are some tips and advice for not only getting through your day but enjoying it as well:

1. Elevate your entrance, whether to your building, office, or cubicle. Display your name For others to see, allowing it to remind everyone that it represents YOUR space and your power. There is a strong intention behind presenting your name to the universe.

2. Bring things from home that make you feel good to surround yourself with. Lots of people bring in pictures, and it’s a wonderful idea to create a space filled with people and things that you love. This can remind you of why you work so hard and what you hope to achieve through your work. 

3. Think positively! Positive thoughts not only send good vibes to those around you (which you will receive in return), but also enhance your energy and allow you to use your time more effectively. Perhaps the author of “The Little Train That Could” knew exactly what he was talking about.

4. Celebrate a wall for all your accomplishments. Big or small, every achievement you’ve made in life COUNTS. Add to them the things you’ve never done but always wanted to: the trip to Paris that you never had time to take, ballroom dancing, another night class. Combining what you’ve already accomplished with what you hope to create in the future shows you how far you’ve already come and how much farther you can go in life.

5. What is all this talk about Feng Shui colors? While it’s true that Feng Shui is associated with different colors for various areas of your life, primarily think about surrounding yourself with colors you love. You can later use the Bagua to determine which colors are appropriate for specific areas from a Feng Shui perspective and incorporate them as accent colors. However, your surroundings should consist of colors that make you feel good.

6. Bagua your desk. Here’s a simple task to consider: you can find a Bagua online and print it out. Hold it in front of you with “Career” facing you and use it as a layout over your desk. The center of your desk relates to health, so keep that area clean and clear. What’s at the back left? That is your Wealth area, where you might want to place something that symbolizes good fortune for financial matters. Feng Shui Consultants often suggest a Red Envelope with 3 or 9 coins inside as a lucky item for that area. Got relationship issues? Check the back right corner of your desk. For relationships, we recommend looking for items in pairs. Two small statues, a photo of two items together, or just two flowers (silk, not dried) can be placed on your computer. Examine each area of the Bagua and decide what would be best to place there, based on what you want to change or achieve in your life.

7. The Five Elements. I know this can be a bit more complex depending on whether you’re working on a room, a desk, or the entire exterior of a home or business. The elements have both constructive and destructive forces, and you need to be aware of this when using them. If you arrange them in a circle with Fire at the top, moving clockwise to Earth, Metal, Water, and then Wood, you’ll have the correct sequence. Some people wonder what to incorporate when dealing with a small space like a desk. Your Fire elements can be as simple as something red, which symbolizes fire. For Earth? A small plant in a tiny ceramic pot will work perfectly here. You get the idea. No one even needs to know you’re using Feng Shui.

8. There’s a lot of fuss about Clutter and rightfully so. If you’re surrounded by clutter please remember that it relates to your mind. You can think straight, you can’t find anything or you forget appointments. Whoever came up with the saying ”A Place For Everything and Everything in it’s Place” was a genius. Get more organized and you’ll feel much better and more balanced.

In the world of cubicles many of us find ourselves in, there’s not much we can do to bring the outside in. Or is there? A small picture of a landscape that you love or a tiny desk top water fountain that you hear as well as see are different ways to feel in harmony with nature and your surroundings. If you’re lucky enough to have a window, check your view. If it’s not the most pleasing sight you’ve ever seen, hang a few sun catchers or a small wind chime. Change your perspective and you just might change your life.

9. Finally, don’t be so worried about changing things around and doing the wrong thing from a Feng Shui Perspective. There is nothing you can change that can’t be changed back if it’s something you’re not in tune with. Try different things out and find what’s making YOU feel better at work. It may not go with every Principle of  Feng Shui but it’s whatever works best for you. And don’t be afraid of change, sometimes it’s good to get things “moving” (yourself included) that have been “stuck”

While you still may get a touch of “Ground Hog Days” now and then, when you walk into your work space now you should feel a new sense of well being and harmony in your surroundings. That and a good cup of coffee are perfect ways to start your day at work!