4 Tips for Improving Productivity at Home, School and Work

What a year 2020 has been already! Most of the world has been in lockdown since March! This has offered us some wonderful time for self-reflection and transformation. Now with restrictions beginning to lift in some places around the world, schools resuming and people going back to work, it is important to carry forward our new insights and perspectives as things return to a new "normal".

Having been at home for so long, it is natural that our daily routines have changed and that our productivity may have suffered a little bit.

Whether you are continuing to work from home or are returning to the office, here are some tips for increasing productivity. They can also be applied to help if you or your kids are studying.

Place Your Desk in The Command Position

This is such an important Feng Shui tip and one I advise to apply in nearly every consultation!

In Feng Shui, desks (as well as beds and stoves) occupy what are called "power positions" within a space. Ideally, they should always be placed in the "Command Position", with a solid wall behind, facing, but not directly in line with the door.

This may not always be achievable, although it is recommended to get as close to this position as possible.

The "Command Position" instills a feeling of control over your life. It sits you at the Control Panel of your life and work while helping to eliminate distractions and increase creativity, productivity, efficiency and work quality.

With a solid wall behind you, nothing can sneak up on you. In business, this helps to eliminate tasks and deadlines sneaking up on you, giving you a sense of safety and security. It also stops you being blindsided, backstabbed or talked about behind your back.

Facing but not directly in line with the door, means you can see opportunities and challenges ahead of time and handle them head-on. It also means that you can see anything oncoming or approaching. This gives us time to prepare and respond, rather than having events take us by surprise.

Conversely, having your desk facing hard-up against a wall greatly limits creativity and productivity. In consultations, this is the most common position in which I see desks and it is something I always suggest to modify. If you think about it, with a wall in front of you, the creative energy has nowhere to go and you may feel like you are not "getting anywhere" with your work or like you keep "hitting a wall"...see what I'm getting at?

Locate and Enhance the #4 Academic and Romance Flying Star

Flying Stars are an integral part of Traditional Chinese Feng Shui. They are energies (some positive and some negative) that move around the space at certain times; monthly, annually and periodically (every 20 years). With every movement comes a shift in energy and in luck. When positive Flying Star energies are harnessed and enhanced, we can reap many benefits.

The #4 Academic and Romance Flying Star relates to exactly what its name suggests. It governs love, relationships, career, travel, creativity, academic, and self-development prospects. This is a great Flying Star to enhance to help promote and improve productivity!

In 2020, the 4 Star is in the South West. Women in particular may reap the benefits of activating this positive energy!

Using this area to work or study is particularly ideal this year.

The 4 Star can be further enhanced using Feng Shui Elements, colours and shapes.

Water and Wood Elements are highly effective to amplify the 4 Star's positive effects. A glass desk or a blue or black tablecloth over your desk will help you channel this powerful academic and romantic energy.

A small water feature could be added here, but pants are not recommended in the South West.

While the Wood Element strengthens the 4 Star, it weakens the Earth energy of the South West, so the Water Element and objects that represent it are preferred (blue, black, glass, mirrors, water). Be sure to avoid certain objects, shapes and colours in this area as well, as these weaken the energy of the 4 Star.

Avoid candles, reds or oranges, whites, greys and silvers. Avoid metal and/or pointy objects. Avoid circles and triangles.

Essential Oils

The science behind the influence of essential oils is amazing. "When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain." (Johns Hopskins Medicine)

Lemon Essential Oil has myriad benefits for health and also for stimulating productivity.

It affects the digestive, immune and respiratory systems and promotes health, healing, physical energy and purification (Young Living Essential Oils App). Lemon essential oil is highly effective for relieving stress. It has been proven to have calming and mood-improving effects and may help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression (Healthline). Additional to being a mood-booster, Lemon essential oil may also boost brain power! Inhaling lemon essential oil can help you feel alert and concentrated.

Studies show that students performed better in exams when Lemon essential oil was diffused!

Brain Power Essential Oil Blend is a blend of essential oils that are high in sesquiterpenes, which for the science buffs reading this, play a role in dissolving petrochemicals along the receptor sites near the pituitary, pineal and hypothalamus. This helps to increase receptivity and promote oxygen flow in those areas. Increased oxygen around these sites can lead to increased mental capacity, metal clarity and reduced symptoms of "brain fog".

If you wish to purchase either of these oils or any others, check out the Essential Oils Enhancers Page

***When using essential oils, always opt for 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.***

Declutter

The final - and possibly the fastest, easiest and most effective - thing you can do to improve your productivity in any space is to declutter!

Research by Libby Sander and others has shown that "our physical environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions, and behavior, affecting our decision-making and relationships with others. Cluttered spaces can have negative effects on our stress and anxiety levels, as well as our ability to focus, our eating choices, and even our sleep." (Sander, Harvard Business Review)

Scientists from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute "found that when participants cleared clutter from their work environment, they were better able to focus and process information, and their productivity increased."

File your paperwork, organise your notes into one place, have a stationary station or holder available, make sure your desk is clear and easy to access...All these simple things can help to immediately clear brain fog and mind clutter, increase productivity and make room for new ideas, new opportunities and new inspiration to enter.

Overall, implementing these simple Feng Shui tips may help to increase your productivity in any space.

As a certified Feng Shui Master, having done this for over 12 years, I absolutely love what I do! Sharing Feng Shui is my passion and I love educating people on it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and if you want or need any help applying Feng Shui to your own space, feel free to get in touch, I'm here to help!

You can reach me at natalie@fengshuiyourway.com.au