Whether you believe in Oriental powers of feng shui or not, there are an increasingly large number of people who do. Either way, it's fun to examine different ideas, so let's take a look at your home office from feng shui point of view.

Business people in Asia have considered work place feng shui to be a crucial contributor to personal and business success for centuries. Anything that has lasted for centuries is worth a closer look to see if any part of concept will work for you. In this article we will ignore corporate business office feng shui, and focus on home office adaptations.

Have a separate outside entrance to your office if possible. If you can not, then choose a room that is near front or back door of house or apartment. Separate your home office from rest of living area in order to keep your business and personal lives separate. If your home office is part of a larger room, then partition it off with bookcases, screens, or large plants.

Never have your back to window. Having your back to a door symbolically leaves you open to attack. If you directly face a door you may be overpowered by incoming Chi. The best position is with your back to a wall that holds an Earth element such as a picture of a mountain or a lake. The next best position is angled away from a doorway or facing a wall featuring a water element such as a fish or a picture of lake, or even abstract art that features wavy lines.

You can energize your desk by adorning it with objects that symbolize five elements to attract work and luck. Simply follow Lo Shu grid like this:

North: Your beverage cup or glass. Northeast: A crystal paperweight Northwest: Your computer terminal East: Fresh flowers Southeast: A small green plant South: A desk lamp or something red

Flat ceilings are best for promoting flow of Chi. If you have a sloped ceiling, cathedral ceiling, or exposed beams then you you can hang wind chimes or bamboo flutes to offset negative effects.

If you have views of harmful elements from your window, you can negate them by strategic placement of wind chimes or plants. Cactus and Bamboo are plants symbolize good fortune and are ideal for placement in home office. Any sharp leaved plants are good feng shui in this area as they are believed to deter harmful influences.

Choosing Home Office Furniture

Having an adequately equipped home office is essential to being productive. It is not necessary that everything be brand new, nor is it necessary that you spend a lot of money. What is important is that you select your items carefully and that they are functional and safe for use in a home office environment.

Check your telephone directory for used office furniture stores. Many time you can find very nice furniture available at a fraction of cost. Don't forget to also check resale store and thrift shops in your area, as well as local classified ads.

1. The Desk

Bigger is better when it comes to desks. Try to choose one that has lots of room for your computer monitor, keyboard, telephone, and space to spread out paperwork and anything else that you may be working on at moment. Pick a desk that has adequate drawer space and a file drawer for short-term filing of active projects.

If you choose a desk that has a built-in keyboard support shelf, make sure that shelf it wide enough to hold your keyboard and still have plenty of room to let you perform natural mouse moment. Some of new keyboard designs, such as Microsoft "Natural", are wider than standard keyboards.

2. The Chair

Proper back and neck support is essential when you spend all day sitting down. Buy best chair that you can afford. Your chair must have solid upper and lower (or lumbar) back support. A flimsy backrest puts stress on your spine while you're seated and causes back pain. Look for a chair where lower portion of a backrest is slightly curved to follow natural contour of your spine.

You chair's seat seat should feel comfortable when you initially sit down, and should remain that way after you've been seated for a significant period of time. If seat becomes uncomfortable then foam padding may not be a high enough density, or contouring may not be right for your body.

Make sure you have plenty of room around your hips and thighs. You should have at least one inch of space on either side of your body. It is also important that your chair's seat properly supports your thighs without edge of seat coming in contact with back of your legs while you are sitting.

3. File Cabinets

To keep your home office organized, and avoid clutter, you are going to need filing cabinets. There essentially two different files cabinets that are perfect for a home office. Here is a quick summary:

a) Vertical file cabinets