Feng Shui

1. Don't know where to start in deciding what belongs on your desk or not?
Tip from the Feng Shui Shrink: Take EVERYTHING off of the desk. Then put back each item and then ask your body [not your head] how it feels about this item being there. Do you feel good or not so good about it? Only items you feel good about get to stay.
Use this technique everywhere in your office - shelves, files, etc.

2. Does your office feel dead?
Tip from the Feng Shui Shrink: Add life to your office with a LIVE plant or a small goldfish in a bowl. If you can add more than one plant do so. Leafy plants are the best choice. Don't put in prickly plants unless you want people to think you're prickly.

3. Need more room on your desk to work?
Tip from the Feng Shui Shrink: Only work on one thing at a time. If it is paperwork you are doing, move the keyboard and monitor to the side, or off the desk, to give you the space you need.

4. Would you like more time in the day?
Tip from the Feng Shui Shrink: Our perception of time has to do with how focused we are on what we are doing. Remove distractions, like piles of papers or files, post-its, and other visual reminders. They are subconsciously telling you that you don't have enough time because you haven't worked on them. Too many visual cues of this nature make us feel rushed, overwhelmed, and time-starved.

5. Would you like to feel more creative at work?
Tip from the Feng Shui Shrink: Novelty stimulates creativity. Make simple changes to your workspace. Add a desk lamp and turn off the overhead lighting to change the mood and look of your space. Rearrange the things on your desk, like the pen holder or clock. Add something new to your space - a picture, a new screen saver, music, color (a small area rug, a place mat on your desk), etc.

Our bodies are reacting to our work spaces before our minds do. Creating a space that is pleasing for the body will free up energy and focus for your mind to do the work at hand.

Katherine Grace Morris, PhD, FSII, is the Feng Shui Shrink. She is a Depth Psychologist and certified Feng Shui practitioner who fixes offices fast and effectively. She is located in Chevy Chase, MD. DrMorris@psychologyofsetting.com