It has been known for a long time that being creative can help you to maintain good mental health, but sometimes fitting creativity into a busy life is difficult. You don’t have to be a professional artist to work on creative activities and projects.
Finding solutions to problems at work, coming up with an original idea in a meeting or making a new recipe you’ve never tried before are just three ways of being creative. So, how do you get those creative juices flowing if you’re tired after a stressful day?
Please note: this is a contributed post.
Music
Music stimulates the part of your brain that controls creativity, among other things. Different styles of music will have varying effects, and it seems the best for boosting your creativity is opera. Tuning into Mozart might not work for everyone, but it is certainly worth a try.
Part of the reason music works in this way is because it helps you to relax, and the more relaxed you are the more creative you will be. Playing an instrument can have the same effect, and you may well find that the drums, a piano or maybe a guitar will clear your mind and put you on a creative path.
Healthy Food
Have you ever noticed someone else’s meal in a restaurant and thought you’d like to try that someday? Well, that day has come – why not go one step further and create the meal for yourself? There are lots of foods that are good for your brain, but research has shown that fatty fish, blueberries, turmeric, broccoli, and nuts are some of the best.
So, cook more of these healthy and brain boosting foods whenever you can. If you want to really get the creative juices flowing, you could even invite some special friends for Sunday brunch sushi to do something different and stimulate you further. You are what you eat, and eating the right stuff will boost your creativity.
Writing With A Pen
Set yourself a test of writing with pen and paper – this is a nice change from typing on your computer keyboard or smartphone. It possibly goes back to your school days when your first creative writing would have been done in this way. A study in Texas showed that people are more creative with a pen and paper than they are when using their PC.
Carry out your writing test, using a journal or pad of paper, and see how you do. While you are writing, it is a good idea to write down any problems you are trying to solve. Sometimes, getting them out of your head onto paper makes the solutions easier to find.
Day Dreaming
Many research studies have shown that when your mind wanders that you often come up with the best solution for a problem. Sometimes, we can be too fixated on a difficult situation and our mind seems to go round and round in circles. Remove the problem from your mind for a while, enjoy some of your favorite daydreams, and you will find the answer much quicker.
Use Your Hands
An article published by Dr. Susan Weinschenk on Psychology Today has shown the gesturing with your hands, when you are trying to explain something, prompts the brain to consider different angles. It is also thought that the left hand is the prominent one in this case, which the study concluded could explain why so many creative people are left-handed.
It seems that some people think better when lying down too, so although you cannot do this in the workplace, it could be a way of sorting through issues once you are home.
Laugh More
Laughing boosts the activity in the prefrontal cortex and anterior Cingulate cortex, which are the areas of the brain associated with complex cognition, decision-making and emotions. Laughing can put you in a positive mood and this can always help you be more creative. Even if you’ve had a rough day, find something that makes you chuckle and soon you will feel a lot less stressed.
The Great Outdoors
Being outside can get all five of your senses working efficiently and this can stimulate your imagination. Just think back to your days as a child where you would run around the park, or in the fields. The feeling of freedom that making up outdoor games and adventures used to provide you with will all come back if you spend more times outdoors.
When you’re outside, there is a good chance you are exercising at the same time. Even a stroll through the woods is better than doing nothing. It will free your mind and allow your thoughts to flow more freely and is often the way to come up with a creative solution to a problem.
Get Plenty of Sleep
If you do not get enough sleep and become tired, both your body and mind will feel sluggish. You will not feel creative about anything in this state. You need to make sure you get enough sleep to be bright and alert. 7 to 8 hours each night is the recommended amount, and if you can stick to this sleep schedule your creativity is more likely to shine through.
Be Positive
There are many people that will tell you they are not creative because they cannot write a better selling book or carve a statue from marble. This is not true though, and people talk themselves out of being creative in any area. But, don’t talk yourself in getting involved in arts and crafts. Remember that are lots of ways of being creative from cooking, to sewing, gardening, woodworking and more.
Make A Creative Space
If you make a creative space in your home, your brain will get into the habit of being creative every time you enter it. Try using a whiteboard to write down your ideas for the future, or turn an unused closet into a small arts and crafts studio. You don’t need much space, just enough to let you work on something related to your favorite hobby, or memento’s from past achievements.
Choose What Makes You Creative
Like everything in life, people will differ in what brings out their creativity. You need to try a few things and see which ones work the best for you. Don’t give up if your first attempts aren’t what you were expecting. Try a few different arts and crafts projects – beading, painting, crochet, etc. – to find the creative outlet that you like best. Everyone has an element creativity they can tap into to help relieve stress. And who knows, your weekend hobby of creating handmade birdhouses could end up turning into a part-time job!
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