Last fall, Canon Europe decided to hire Feng Shui consultant Dr. Simona F. Mainini to redesign their offices in order to help address “high levels of employee office stress and rage.”

The company was happy with the results, and it recently released Dr. Mainini's 30-plus page report for free. It's a very readable document filled with useful advice. You can download the PDF here.

For those not familiar with Feng Shui, the report explains that it “uses natural laws to explain how the life-force energy of the planet (called “Qi”) operates in the physical environment in relation to time, space and individual human beings.”

In practical terms, it offers “specific guidelines on how to site, orient, design, and decorate the buildings where we live and work so as to harmoniously capture this planetary life-force energy and use it productively to support our health and well-being, improve our lives, and attain the goals we so industriously pursue.”

Feng Shui can be applied to the colours, light, furniture, and materials used inside an office. The report also advises people to spend time in nature, meditate, get lots of sleep and to consider taking up yoga or a similar form of exercise. For businesses, Feng Shui is used to increase productivity, reduce stress, and help the bottom line.

“In my experience, using Feng Shui to increase your business income is easy,” writes Dr. Mainini. “But maintaining the happiness and well-being of individuals is a lot more complicated.”

Her report concludes with 10 tips for bringing Feng Shui into the office. I've included them below. Read the full report if you want the advanced class.

TOP 10 FENG SHUI OFFICE TIPS

1) Reduce the use of glaring florescent lighting to a minimum. Natural light and fresh air are always preferable. To reduce excessive exposure and “fish-bowl-effect”, use window treatments.
 
2) In locating a desk, whenever possible, always provide direct views to an entrance. Avoid placing an employee in a direct line with the door of an office or a cubicle.
 
3) Colors like green, blue-green, and blue will do well. Avoid the extensive use of white on walls. Avoid patterns, especially multiple or clashing patterns of colors or textures.
 
4) Plants and water in general will do well in highly stressful environments, as long as they don't create more clutter (and more stress).
 
5) De-clutter and organize desk and storage spaces – including digital - and create more storage space whenever necessary.
 
6) Place desks in the “power position”, with the back to a solid wall rather than an open space. All desks should be “floating”, rather then facing the wall, when doing most of your work.
 
7) In a cubicle, the main working surface should be positioned facing toward the hallway, separated with a medium-height partition. 
 
8) For the open plan, I suggest using medium height partition or bookshelves to reproduce the “power position” behind the employees' back. 
 
9) Use advanced Feng Shui techniques to activate specific supportive directions based on date of birth or building orientation.
 
10) To reduce stress and promote well-being, practice a moderate and balanced lifestyle. Remember: stress shouldn't be an excuse for poor behavior inside, or outside, the office.