Totaljobs.com > Career Advice > Latest jobs news > Workplace chi

Workplace chi

By Helen Beckett

The average worker spends more than a third of his or her waking hours at the office and it can pay dividends to give your work space a little TLC.

People use their office and desk space for a number of activities – eating, greeting and sleeping to name but a few. While most of us tend to stick to work in this space, we Brits do spend longer in the office than anyone else – 25% put in a 59-hour week. Invest some time thinking about, and reorganising, your space and you can make the office work for you.

Pole position
There are good and bad places to sit in an office. One hotspot is the corner position of a group of desks. “You can see what is going on around you, but the rest of the team can’t peer at you from 360 degrees,” says Rob Yeung, business psychologist and author of The Rules of EQ.

Having your back against the wall also feels safe. This instinct probably dates from prehistoric times but in the office, it means the boss can’t sneak up while you’re surfing.

It’s a gender thing
Women reckon their desks are more organised, according to the Ajilon Office recruitment company – 56% of women say their space is organised, compared with 42% of men. Some of these workers may just be deluded as women are certainly better at festooning desks with toys, mascots and other feel-good paraphernalia.

Visual cues and clues
Flora, fauna and cuddly toys have the advantage of turning a desk into a homely and less stressful zone. Other visual cues can work well to stimulate your daily career progress, such as photos of a successful enterprise or a key contact.

You could use the desktop to make power statements to the rest of your colleagues, bringing in your sports or work trophies and certificates. Make sure not to overdo it though as they could get in the way of work or, worse still, make you look like a power-crazed careerist!

Neat tips
The old adage of ‘everything has a home’ may encourage people to put things away and keep their desk clear. Although it’s worth remembering that this principle won’t work for kleptomaniacs or very busy people.

Good vibrations
Not all clutter can be treated in the same way – there is such a thing as the wrong kind of clutter. “Make sure there are no documents relating to failed projects or ex-customers lying around because that creates a negative energy,” warns Raymond Catchpole, Chairman of the UK Feng Shui Association.

Proponents of the ancient Chinese art, designed to help us live harmoniously, also warn against installing a huge rubbish bin next to your desk. “It can create the unfortunate association that everything you do ends up in it.”

Successful colours
Happily, companies can take positive steps to help the flow of chi, or positive energy. Be warned – too much white can make people cantankerous. So inject a splash of colour on to your desk to raise energy levels and stick to earth tones to feel really grounded.

Totaljobs.com > Career Advice > Hot topics > Workplace chi

Search for a job with totaljobs.com.