How to Create a Zen Workspace

There is more to Zen than religion. The term has come to convey calmness and lack of stress. It is a mind free from intrusive negative thoughts. Creative thinking is Zen when allowed total freedom. Zen brings us closer to nature, to a garden of peace. With phones ringing and deadlines looming, Zen is a little more difficult, but not impossible to reach in the workplace.

Instructions

1. Prepare for work each day with some quiet tome. Sit in your garden or find a quiet place for brief meditation. Affirm that you will remain calm through the day and that your creative energy will flow freely in your workplace.

2. Smile when you enter your workplace. The act of smiling brings good feelings with it both for you and anyone you may encounter, setting up the mood for the day.

3. Feng Shui your office. There is something to the ancient Chinese practice. Most important to a stress-free environment is the lack of clutter. Clean your desk before leaving each evening so you can arrive to a de-cluttered space in the morning.

4. Purchase a Zen garden. It is a small box with sand and a rake that you can use to refocus throughout the day when you find stress invading. Zen gardens are available at officeplayground.com.

5. Place reminders in strategic places around your workspace. These mementos can include sayings that bring you peace or pictures that invoke calm, such as the ocean or a forest. Hang pictures of people and places that bring happy memories. Favorite vacation spots, grandchildren and pets are usually good for a Zen-like moment.