Have you heard the term “Feng Shui before? If you haven’t, here’s a quick definition taken from Wikipedia; “Feng Shui – (pronounced “fung shway”) is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment”.
I discovered the art of family-office Feng Shui a few weeks ago by accident. During one of my busier seasons, I spent more time than normal sitting at my desk while my kids watched Saturday morning cartoons. As I frantically tried to cram in a weeks’ worth of work into four hours, I noticed that my kids were extremely restless. They climbed on me, they fought with one another and they were generally irritable.
A few weeks later, I was growing tired of the room I’d been spending so much time in. I put the kids’ books into decorative baskets, I put new artwork on the walls, and I moved my desk for a change of scenery. My desk used to face the wall. I moved it to the middle of the room to face the fireplace (and my family) instead.
Suddenly, everything changed. My kids were calmer. They often sat in the chair next to me and colored while I worked. They calmly sat beside me and watched television while I worked.
While I shouldn’t refer to the change in my home-office as classic “feng-shui”, I certainly found harmony with my preschoolers after making some subtle changes to my workspace.
In yesterday’s post, I talked about creating a space that inspires you. Today, I would ask that you consider making a few changes to your office space that will make it more “family-friendly”. Does your desk face a wall? Move it so you can face your family while you work. Have you created a “telephone box” yet to entertain your kids while you work? Try it. They will love it, and so will you.
How about getting your kids involved in paperwork? Can they sit next to you and help you stamp postcards, lick envelopes or place labels on business fliers? If you get them involved, they will be more likely to appreciate the work you are doing.
Are there other ways that you can make your space more harmonious for your family? Tell us about your ideas in the comments section.