Whether it's a style of lamp or soap, you can buy all kinds of Zen products. But what does it really mean and why is it resonating with so many people? Zen stems from Zen Buddhism and the idea of being fully present in the moment. Closely tied to meditation, it's about mindfulness and a state of conscious awareness. Today the term is associated with a kind of simplicity, a minimalist aesthetic that seems to resound with people living in a busy world. Zen design is a natural fit for your home office, where you want to be at your conscious, centered best.
So how do you achieve Zen-ness in your office? Start with simplicity, and work with light, open space and balance. Zen style often incorporates natural materials. Install simple flooring - a wood, neutral carpet or a simple tile. Choose an earth tone or cool paint color. You might choose to paint one accent wall with a bolder color choice - just keep it clean and uncomplicated.
Your furniture should also be simple, with clean lines and basic colors. Nothing too loud, bright or distracting.
Choose simple window coverings like unbleached cotton or bamboo blinds. The walls should be fairly bare with just one or two pieces of art.
Even if you're not ready for an all out redesign there are a number of steps you can take to achieve a more Zen-like office space. Embracing the idea of simplicity, the first thing you need to do is get rid of all the clutter. Your office should inspire calmness, not craziness or anxiety. Your desk should not be a resting spot for every knick-knack and family photo you own. Choose one or two of the best and put the rest away. Put things into your desk drawers, use organizers and containers to clean up your desktop.
Get a filing cabinet and establish a filing system - don't leave your bills and receipts on your desk. Get an inbox and an action box - everything that needs action goes into the latter. The inbox is for everything else. On a regular basis (weekly at the very least), act on the items in the action box and file, shred or recycle everything in the inbox. And be firm with yourself - edit on a regular basis. Once a year, go through your filing cabinet and recycle or shred everything you don't need.
Find a simple, comfortable chair that you can work in and away you go - with an uncluttered space and an uncluttered mind you will reach your full mindful potential.
Related Articles
Coat Racks Cut Down on Chaos
By: Megan Cherry | 28/07/2008 | Home Improvement
Every home has a "clutter zone". You know what I mean--those places where no matter how many times you straighten things up, there is always a look of disarray and disorganization. In many houses, the front door area accumulates a stack of coats, sweaters, umbrellas, hats, caps and shoes. If...
The Wonderful World of Coat Racks
By: Megan Cherry | 28/06/2008 | Home Improvement
One of the most overlooked pieces of furniture in one's home is the coat rack. For years the rack that holds our coats, hats, purses, and just about anything else we can think to throw at it has been keeping our homes clutter free and our minds more at ease....
Decorating A Home Office
By: Megan Cherry | 06/07/2008 | Business
When you work from home, you can easily become the envy of people that you know. However, working from home can prove to be a challenge in many different ways. You are constantly bombarded with other things that need to and should be done while you are working. You can...
The Organization of the Closet Monster
By: Megan Cherry | 29/06/2008 | Home Improvement
One of the most dreaded places for one in their home is usually their closet. This room alone can send one running into the woods in a panic because of the mess that can usually be found in here. However, one good thing about a closet is the fact that...
Spring Cleaning
By: Parvati Markus | 23/06/2006 | Home Improvement
It's time to shake off the darkness of winter with a good round of Spring Cleaning!
Coat Racks for the Office
By: Megan Cherry | 30/07/2008 | Business
Are you in the market for office furniture? Of course you will need an impressive desk, a filing cabinet and some interesting prints for the wall. Maybe you will even hire a decorator to match the rug with the upholstery on the chairs. You will be attentive to set the...
Making Your Own Rustic Accents for the Home
By: Megan Cherry | 02/07/2008 | Home Improvement
One of the most satisfying things that a person can do is to start a project and have a finished product that they can show off to their family and friends. But what if you are not that great with being creative? Well, thanks to the internet you can learn...
Free Standing Coat Rack
By: Megan Cherry | 14/06/2008 | Home Improvement
When people think of coat racks almost always the first thing that comes to mind are the tree like things that sit off to the side in entryways from old movies that were used to place hats, coats, umbrellas and canes. While this style of coat rack still exist free...
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
More from Doug Jones
Repair for the Sale
By: Doug Jones | 14/03/2008 | Real Estate
Of course regular home maintenance is the right way to go, but it's so easy to fall behind on the little things. I mean, obviously you fixed the leak in the roof before it caused any real damage (did you have a choice?), but what about those cracked tiles around the bathtub and the leaky faucet in the laundry room? You can't hear it, but you know it's out there, dripping away.
Out of Site, Out of Life
By: Doug Jones | 14/03/2008 | Real Estate
Every year about 300 American children under five drown in a swimming pool, most often the one in their own back yard. A further 2,000 toddlers are sent to the emergency room with submersion related injuries. Most of them were being supervised by at least one parent and had been out of sight for fewer than five minutes.
Tapping Into the Secondary Mortgage Market
By: Doug Jones | 15/02/2008 | Mortgage
High-yield investing can be risky, and the property market is no exception - many properties lose their value unexpectedly, and the process of buying and selling is often time consuming and stressful. That's why many property investors choose to work in the secondary mortgage market.
How an Agent Can Help you Buy or Sell a Home on Ebay
By: Doug Jones | 07/02/2008 | Real Estate
It's possible to buy and sell almost everything on eBay these days, and real estate is no exception.
San Diego's Thriving Relocation Market
By: Doug Jones | 07/02/2008 | Real Estate
As one of the nation's fastest-growing waterfront cities, San Diego provides an interesting study for coastal buyers and sellers across the nation. The metro area features a wide variety of beautiful new developments ranging from high end country clubs, to coastal retreats, to small family-oriented inland towns.
Concrete Homes - your Fortress in a Natural Disaster
By: Doug Jones | 11/01/2008 | Real Estate
If the area you lived in was subject to earthquakes, insect infestation and wildfires, and you could live in a type of housing that could withstand all those perils, why wouldn't you? Concrete homes have an amazing resistance to all of the above and are commonly used in Florida and other hurricane ridden locations, but their popularity hasn't spread to the west coast.
Common Sense is your Best Anti-theft Device
By: Doug Jones | 11/01/2008 | Home Security
Just like other crimes, a burglary can be a totally random event. However, when it's planned, there are certain things a burglar will look for when staking out a possible break-in, and there are steps the homeowner can take to minimize this risk.
Two "must-do's" That Will Sell your Home
By: Doug Jones | 10/01/2008 | Real Estate
Christmas is over, and many of us homeowners had planned to put our homes on the market in time for the spring home-buying-shoppers. But how will we be affected by the unsettled climate in the realty market?
Home Improvement 
