Design your workspace, improve your care

By Rachel Salas, MD, MEd, Johns Hopkins Medicine 

 

As a physician and Feng Shui master, I’ve learned that a place that enhances focus and creativity during the day can also help create a clearer psychological boundary between work and rest, making it easier for the brain to transition into sleep later. The brain responds continuously to environmental cues—light, noise, temperature, visual stimulation, clutter, spatial organization, and even the location of our work materials on our desk can influence arousal and attention.

 

Feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice centered on balance, intentionality, and the flow of energy through a space, offers another lens for thinking about how our surroundings affect how we feel and function. The goal is to create a space that tells your brain, “This is where I think, create, accomplish, and get inspired.” When the workspace is intentionally designed, it can support creativity during the day and help prevent work-related activation from following you into the bedroom at night.

 

Bridging feng shui, brain science, and sleep

Creativity requires both focused attention and opportunities for the mind to wander. A workspace that’s visually organized but not sterile can provide enough structure to support concentration while leaving room for new ideas. Natural light, meaningful objects, inspiring artwork, and plants can make a workspace feel energizing rather than confining. The goal is to create an environment that supports cognitive flow without cognitive overload.

 

Nervous-system regulation

A chaotic workspace can create a subtle sense that there’s always something unfinished. Every visible pile, unanswered message, or stack of paperwork can serve as a small reminder of an unresolved task. Reducing unnecessary visual stimulation can decrease that constant sense of “I should be doing something.”

 

When work happens everywhere

When work happens everywhere—in bed, on the couch, and from the phone—it becomes hard for the brain to recognize when the workday has ended. Creating a dedicated workspace establishes a physical boundary.

 

Light as a daytime signal

Light is one of the strongest environmental signals affecting the circadian system. A workspace with access to bright natural light during the day can support alertness and reinforce appropriate daytime circadian signaling. Later, as evening approaches, reducing light intensity helps the brain transition toward a nighttime state. Think of your workspace as part of your circadian architecture—bright and activating earlier in the day, progressively calmer as the day winds down.

 

Order without rigidity

Feng shui emphasizes flow and balance rather than perfection. A workspace doesn’t need to be completely empty. In fact, excessive minimalism can make some people feel less creative. Instead, distinguish between intentional stimulation and accidental stimulation—a vision board, favorite book, meaningful photograph, or creative object may inspire you. A pile of unpaid bills, yesterday’s coffee cup, and 47 open browser tabs are less likely to improve executive function.

 

How to create a workspace that supports creativity, calm, and nighttime sleep:

 

1. Choose your position intentionally.

Whenever possible, position your desk so you can see the entrance to the room without sitting directly in line with the doorway. From a feng shui perspective, this provides a sense of awareness and command of the space. From a psychological perspective, having a clear view of the room and entrance can contribute to a greater sense of control and environmental awareness. Avoid positioning your desk so that you’re staring directly into a wall if another arrangement is possible. If a wall is unavoidable, make it intentional. Add artwork, an inspiring image, or another visual element that gives the brain something constructive to engage with.

 

2. Give your brain visual breathing room.

Keep the immediate workspace relatively clear. Your desk should have enough open space that you can begin a task without first having to organize yesterday’s tasks. Consider using simple systems for papers, supplies, and projects so that unfinished work has a designated home rather than occupying your visual field. This matters at the end of the day, too. When work is physically contained, it’s easier to contain it mentally.

 

3. Separate “active work” from “unfinished work.”

One useful strategy is to create a designated location for tasks that aren’t finished. This might be a physical tray or a project folder on your computer. Before ending the workday, write down what still needs attention and place it in its designated location. This gives the brain an important message, “I don’t have to remember this tonight. I wrote it down for tomorrow.” Externalizing unfinished tasks can reduce the tendency to mentally rehearse work in the evening.

 

4. Use light strategically.

Maximize natural daylight during the workday whenever possible. Position your desk near a window if practical, while avoiding glare on your screen. Bright daytime light can promote alertness and reinforce the distinction between day and night. As evening approaches, reduce the intensity of your workspace lighting. Avoid continuing to work under extremely bright overhead lighting late into the evening when you’re trying to transition toward sleep.

Your lighting should communicate:

Day = alert, focused, energized
Evening = softer, quieter, slower

 

5. Bring nature inside.

Plants, natural wood, stone, natural fibers, and views of nature can make a workspace feel less sterile and more restorative. A few carefully selected plants can also provide visual breaks during prolonged periods of screen work. Use natural elements strategically rather than turning the office into a jungle. The objective is to create a subtle connection with nature, not another collection that requires maintenance.

 

6. Choose colors that match the function of the space.

Workspace colors can influence the emotional tone of a room. Depending on the purpose of your work, consider colors that support either energy or calm. Soft greens and blues can create a sense of calm and restoration. Warm neutrals can create grounding. Small amounts of brighter colors can provide stimulation and visual energy. If your work requires creativity, consider incorporating a color or object that feels inspiring to you. The key is balance. A workspace doesn’t need to look like a meditation room to support calm.

 

7. Control sound.

Noise can fragment attention and increase cognitive load. Whenever possible, create a workspace with predictable and manageable sound. Rugs, curtains, upholstered furniture, and other soft materials can reduce echo and absorb environmental noise. If silence is distracting, consistent background sound or quiet instrumental music may be useful. However, remember that your workspace should support the nervous system rather than constantly stimulate it.

 

8. Create an ergonomic environment.

Physical discomfort is another form of cognitive distraction. Your chair, desk, monitor, keyboard, and lighting should allow you to work without unnecessary neck, shoulder, back, or eye strain. A comfortable body makes it easier for the brain to sustain attention.

Movement matters, too. Build brief opportunities to stand, stretch, walk, or change position into the workday. Your brain isn’t designed to spend eight hours in exactly the same posture while staring at one rectangle.

 

9. Keep work stress out of the bedroom.

This may be the most important sleep connection. Whenever possible, avoid turning your bedroom into an extension of your office. Don’t work from bed. Don’t routinely answer stressful emails from your pillow. Don’t conduct meetings from the bedroom if another location is available. The brain learns through association. Ideally, the bedroom becomes strongly associated with sleep, rest, intimacy, and recovery, not deadlines, performance evaluations, and unanswered emails.

 

10. Create a “closing ritual.”

A workspace should have an exit strategy. At the end of the workday, spend a few minutes intentionally closing your workspace. Review what you accomplished. Write down the most important unfinished tasks for tomorrow. Clear the immediate workspace. Close your computer. Turn off unnecessary equipment and lights. Then physically leave the workspace. This simple ritual creates a behavioral boundary between work mode and recovery mode. Over time, the sequence itself becomes a cue: work is finished.

 

11. Let the workspace become quieter as the day ends.

If you work from home, consider creating a gradual transition rather than going directly from a demanding meeting to bedtime. After work, change environments. Take a walk. Prepare dinner. Stretch. Listen to music. Spend time with family. Read something unrelated to work. The goal is to give the brain a period of decompression. Sleep is not an on/off switch—it’s a biological transition.

 

12. Design for the person you want to be.

Feng shui emphasizes intention, and this can be particularly powerful in a workspace. Ask yourself: How do I want to feel when I enter this room? Focused? Creative? Confident? Calm? Inspired? Then choose elements that reinforce that feeling. A meaningful photograph, a favorite piece of artwork, a plant, a particular color, or an object representing an accomplishment can serve as a visual reminder of what matters to you. Your workspace should reflect not only what you do, but who you want to be.

 

The workspace-to-sleep connection

A healthy relationship with sleep doesn’t begin when your head hits the pillow. It begins much earlier. The light you receive during the day, the amount of movement you get, the stress you carry, the stimulation you experience, and the environment in which you work all contribute to the conditions under which your brain eventually prepares for sleep. A thoughtfully designed workspace can therefore serve two purposes:
During the day: support attention, creativity, productivity, and a sense of calm.
At the end of the day: provide a clear physical and psychological place to stop working. This boundary is increasingly important in a world where our workplaces can travel with us in our pockets. A brain that knows how to focus also needs to know how to disengage.

Improving your workspace is an investment in how your brain functions throughout the day and how well it recovers at night. When your environment supports focus and creates clear boundaries between work and home, you sleep better and bring your best self to patients.

 

Your surroundings matter

Your surroundings matter. Small changes—better light, less clutter, a more intentional desk setup, and a closing ritual at the end of the day—can have a meaningful impact over time. By shaping your workspace thoughtfully, you create a setting that helps you think more clearly, make better clinical decisions, and recover more fully, ultimately allowing you to provide the excellent care patients deserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.