Working From Home: Desks

With the global shift towards working at home, many people are making some important adjustments to manage making a living while in home environments that were originally designed for other purposes. It is essential to create an area conducive to work in order to both be efficient and keep clear boundaries between your personal and professional lives.

In this post, let’s take a look at desks, one of the most important considerations when working at home or at a dedicated office. You never see a successful company president sitting with their back to the door: they always have what we refer to as Command Position, with the desk in “the seat of power.” With a windowless wall behind you and a view of the entrance to the room, you are supported by the structure of your surroundings and able to see what is coming into your space (symbolized by the door).

This position translates into a mindset of feeling supported by the outer world and being attuned to what is coming your way. This set up requires attention to cables that can easily turn into a mess when shoved behind between the desk and the wall, as well as keeping the desktop under control, since you can’t stack things up against the wall. The level of organization required to have this desk position correlates to a mindset that tracks and organizes work-related tasks as well – a further layer of holistic integrity that this layout supports.

If facing a wall, have a mirror or other reflective object at your desk

Because of space limitations, this configuration will not always be possible; in life (and feng shui), less-than-perfect is very often the case, so the key is always to make things better to the degree you can. If you must face a wall, try to place something reflective on the desk or wall that helps you see behind you: it might be an actual mirror on the wall (I’d suggest one bigger than the one in this image), a lamp with a reflective base, or just framed art whose glass is reflective enough to make possible a reflection of the door. If you can see even a bit behind you without turning around, you’ll feel more at ease. I also suggest having as high-backed a chair as possible – this means exercise balls are a no-no (they usually are). I’d suggest something that covers the back of your neck and head if you’re going to face the wall.

Natural materials can help to stabilize a workspace, even if the desk positioning isn’t ideal

Personalizing your space is extremely important. Images and objects that inspire and ground you will help you feel more supported and connected to your surroundings and the tasks at hand. Natural vibes around your workspace are particularly nurturing, as being surrounded by manmade furniture and technology all the time gets draining – why do you think we tend to feel revitalized outdoors and in natural settings? Our biological forms love the reminder of where we come from and we thrive in surroundings that respect our physiological form.

While the desk on the right is not in the ideal ‘seat of power’ configuration, the plant and salt crystal lamp – as well as the natural wood of the desk itself – are wonderful enhancements. The lush green of the plant signifies growth, abundance, and vitality; plants also produce oxygen and the voluminous leaves here mitigate the linear shape of one side of the desk. (Of course, plants should be in stable pots and not pose a risk to any electronics in the area.) The salt crystal lamp’s organic material and shaping make it a wonderful decorative accent and source of light. The plant between the desk and window serves as extra insulation to nurture whoever is seated there, the decorative rope lighting around its base being another mood and energy enhancer.

It is important to remember that practicality is of prime importance in any work area (and non-work areas too), but aesthetics help the space to come alive and nurture your innate being so that you can more fully express your unique nature in what you do. Wherever you sit to work, enhance the area aesthetically and do what you can to increase support at your back and a view of the entrance to the space.

And remember: there are a lot of adjustments going on in our lives right now and there is quite a bit of stress for some people as to why we’re working at home. Go easy on yourself. There are usually things we can all usually do to improve, but please be gentle – don’t be worried if things are not ideal. Take steps to improve as you can, and be sure to rest well and step away fully from work when business hours are done.