by Jollean Mc Farlen Miact, Csl,
Dpl Mkg, Feng Shui Master, Author & Visionary
Workplace stress and resulting poor employee performances have gained increased media lately. And for good
reason. China Daily, People's talk TV & Magazine recently published health reports that estimate that workplace
DEPRESSION cost 1.5 billion in lost productivity to major companies small and large. According to the Canadian Mental
Health Association (also read in local China Today world-wide newspaper) are contributing to higher levels of depression,
anxiety and burnout. WORKPLACE - related depression is expected to be the leading source of workdays lost within the next
18 years. Since health and the resulting employees are a company's best asset, human resources specialists need to be
armed with substantial and diverse ways to improve workers' well-being, morale and productivity.
The workplace environment is a cruticial factor in employee retention. When space is cluttered
or tight many employees are working in cubicles. It is even more important to focus on creating a welcoming and healthy
workplace.
The ancient art and science of Feng Shui can help some of these problems and therefore,
is experiencing increasing popularity. A complex body of knowledge with over 5,000 years of history, feng shui teaches ways
to improve the quality of people's lives by balancing their envirnoment. Feng shui
is employed by many organizations in North America and around the world to harmonize their environments and achieve higher
levels of productivity.I
sure saw it in Asia living there for over three years teaching, traveling, helping, and
counseling companies.
One of the main concepts of feng shui is the flow of chi, or universal energy,
in any given environment. How much chi - or vital energy does your workplace have? How vibrant, attractive and healthy is your space? Everything counts towards creating an environment where
people can thrive? This includes basics like the oxgen level, amounts of sunlight and negative ions in the air to the not-so-obvious,
such as the level of electromagnetic pollution, hidden messages and health threats. When you remedy all safety hazards (both
conscious and subconscious) a big portion of your employees' stress will be removed.
Here are some points to follow in creating
healthier workplaces.
- Allow employees to personalize the workplace by giving them freedom of expression in their work area,
within reason, of course.
- Introduce water features, plants, and vibrant artwork. Install full-spectum
lighting instead of fluorescent lights, Also add salt lamps for calming effect.
- Avoid sharp angles
pointing at people as they appear threating. For example, floor-to-ceiling windows in high-rise building might make people
feel unprotected or unsupported.
- Pay attention to your environment's sensory experience, particularly the smells. Are
you welcomed by comforting food smells, such as coffee or cinnamon or the aroma of energizing essential oils? Or is it a stagnant,
dusty or musty smell that you would rather not inhale? Do not over look this detail, as proper breathing lies at the basis
of our well-being.
Reading the subsconscious messages your environment is sending you may become a crucial tool in your quest for creating
vibrant and healthy workspaces. For esample, if your organization has recently downsized and there are many empty cubicles,
the environment is saying. "Business is not good. We do not have enough work to fill our space or money to keep enough
workers." Whereas, if you took that same space and gave the remaining employees double cubicles, the environment would
be saying., "Business is so good, now we can afford some luxuries, like a more spacious environment."
The
work environment should also support and reflect the hopes, dreams. goals and intentions of the business. The
name and logo of your company should be in a high, well lit, auspicious place. Having your company's name or logo on a
doormat encourages disrespect and attracts the energy of failure.
I believe the use of feng shui principles
will become an integral part of the knowledge of every human resources specialist who is deciated to helping employees achive
maximum productivity, while maintaining, if not improving, their well-being.
Creating an environment
where people are happy to come to work and reluctant to leave should not be hard. Once you start applying feng shui basics
to your workspace you will see how easy it is to transform it into a high-energy space where people feel safe, secure, valuable
and respected.
I suggest you never underestimate the power of Feng Shui &
Colour if you wish to have a happy and healthy peaceful life - Jollean.
