Feng Shui Tips: Don’t Eat At Your Desk

The worst enemy of productivity is clutter, regardless of whether you approach this from a psychological or esoteric perspective. In Feng Shui clutter leads to an imbalance if Chi and consequently, stagnation of growth and progress. Let’s talk about workspace clutter and why you shouldn’t eat at your desk.

If you have your own office or designated workspace solely dedicated to your creativity or business, clear lines, clean spaces, natural light, healthy plants and good flow are the secrets to a desk that enhances concentration and inspiration. The first common mistake that many tend to make is to clutter the desk either with knickknacks, files, unsorted notes and office supplies. Even if you have a designated place for everything, as long as they are on your desk and your eyes can roam over them all the time, this is a recipe for procrastination and unproductive multitasking. In Feng Shui, less is always more. Clear the clutter from your desk and leave as little as possible on top, which means making full use of your drawers and whittling down the decor to one pen holder, a maximum of two plants, a lamp and your computer.

The second cardinal sin for the work space is food. There is an entire school of thought about the Feng Shui of food which I won’t get into today, but the bottom line is that food is to be honoured, respected, and seen as a source of energy and harmony. Yes, physiologically it is meant to energise your body, but esoterically or spiritually, its purpose is to calm and balance. It should be consumed at the proper place where people gather around the table to bond and celebrate, share their spirits and thoughts. A desk, on the other hand, is for solitary productivity, focus on business / work, and shuts out family and friends for the time being. It is not a place where food can or should be brought to, as it is spiritually counterproductive.

In terms of workspace Feng Shui, food is considered clutter so you should avoid eating at your desk at all costs, and this includes snacking. Some of you might be thinking, but I need to snack while I work in order to think better. No, you don’t. Take a minute to think carefully about this. The constant reaching for the snacks (chips, cookies, vegetable sticks, candy, etc.) draws your attention away from whatever it is you are supposed to focus on, and your attention is split between reaching for the next bite, the tissue, chewing, reaching for a drink, and so on, leaving about 50% of your concentration on the computer screen or the phone call. Not to mention all the crumbs and trash and inadvertently end up in your keyboard or desk.

I can just hear several people grumbling “But I have no time to go out for lunch” or “My lunch break is too short to go out”. Regardless of whether you have 30 or 60 minutes for lunch, take the time to leave the workspace and give your food the honour and respect it deserves. Not only does your body need the nourishment to bring balance and harmony to your energies and chakras, but you also honour the work space by keeping it free of clutter.

Related entry: Barefoot Magic

Also see: Decluttering: Swedish Death Cleaning vs the Marie Kondo Method