Tips To Boost Your Creativity

Posted by Nabin Shaw on March 24th, 2020

A number of studies demonstrate that being creative can decrease negative emotions, as well as reduce levels of stress and anxiety. There is also quite a bit of evidence that suggests that being creative or having a creative job helps people to live longer, as mentioned in the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative and Aging Fact Sheet. So if being creative helps you live longer and also improves your quality of life, what’s not to love? To help you out, here are a few simple ideas to encourage and nurture your own creativity:

Daydream Away

Evidence suggests that ‘doing nothing’ can often really inspire a higher level of imagination that can result in a much more productive life. In fact, the correlation between daydreaming and creativity has existed for generations. Giving ourselves a bit of time to get lost in our thoughts takes us to a world where ideas can flow and creativity can flourish.

Intentionally Set Time For Yourself

A great way to practice self-care is by journaling. If you struggle to dedicate half an hour to journaling, you could simply start or finish your day by writing 3 affirmations, or 3 things you are grateful for. This is also a good way to cultivate a positive mindset at the start or end of a day. Journaling is a wonderful way to reset your mind from work or school mode––and allow a creative thought flow and thinking pattern.

Keep Up With Creative Projects

If your work doesn't require creative input, apply your creativity towards other personal enriching projects that help spark creativity. Try to be creative, each and every day. Did you know studies show that creative people are better able to live with uncertainty? This is because they can adapt their thinking to allow for the flow of the unknown.

Take a Break

Taking breaks throughout your workday is thought to help the mind reset toward a more productive state. Taking a 10-minute walk around the block or savoring a warm cup of coffee or tea (away from your computer!) helps to reset your mind, refocus and boost creativity. Research suggests that a few short breaks a day can improve your productivity and quality of work, creativity levels, and awareness.

Complete a Puzzle

Puzzles challenge your mind to think creatively about how to approach a problem. From mystery challenges and complicated number puzzles to free sudoku puzzle games and crosswords, solving puzzles has an overwhelmingly positive effect on your creativity. Now with so many games and apps available online, you can play a few of these during lunch, on the train, or while you wait in a queue. Why not opt for this to pass time, rather than mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed? Click here for free sudoku puzzle games.

Going Away

A change in scenery can do a world of good for your creative self. Even the same landscape can look new from a different window. If you can really escape, treat yourself to a weekend away or holiday. This will give yourself a proper chance to break away and give you the space to recover while increasing creativity and motivation. Seeing the world from a new location and culture can spark all kinds of wonderful things including creativity.

Try Mindfulness Meditation

When your budget is restricted, take your mind on a little spiritual vacation and try your hand at meditating. According to the Huffington Post, “Mindfulness meditation is a great technique to learn to help improve creativity. It has side effects which have been shown to reduce the reactivity of the reptilian brain, increase resilience, stimulate the neocortex, as well as improve emotional intelligence.”

So there you go, a few simple ways to help reignite and boost your creativity. Remember to do something creative that you enjoy every day after all this makes us happier humans, and what’s more important than that?