Did you know there are some really easy wins to boost your creativity? I call this getting more ‘brain idle’ time and it’s something I encourage all my clients to do more of!
Why boost creativity?
If you are are in a creative business or need to come up with some fresh ideas, the benefits are obvious. However, boosting our creativity and gaining space for new, clearer thinking can really help with problem solving. We can come up with better solutions, be more efficient in our approach and access memories and information faster.
If you’ve experienced brain fog or fatigue, you’ll know how frustrating that can be. Forgetting words you know, names you should remember and being unable to add up simple numbers. Burnout can cause this as well. When we are busy all the time, our executive brains are over stretched and we aren’t able to process things as quickly or as effectively as we’d like. The extreme consequences can be getting muddled up and putting the car keys in the fridge or forgetting where you put the keys completely. Very Well Mind have an interesting article on this which you can read here: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-boost-your-creativity-2795046
Top Tips for boosting creativity
Brain Idle Time
My number one tip for boosting creativity and regaining the space to think clearly is simple. I call it brain idle time. The precious moments when we are driving the car, having a shower, washing up with no interruptions, taking a walk or even sitting on the loo! I call these moments precious because, in our busy days, these moments can be rare. They are also often moments we feel guilty to savour. There seems to be a feeling of needing to be productive all the time. That we can’t waste time doing nothing. So we fill each moment with intaking information in some way. Listening to a podcast while we go for a walk. Taking a call on our walk to work. Logging onto emails whilst on the bus, or scrolling the internet at any opportunity.
The time we are in what I describe as ‘brain idle mode’ seems to be getting less frequent and in some cases, non existent.
But, I’m sure you know the feeling of when you’re enjoying a shower and a great idea pops into your mind. Or you’re lying in bed with the lights switched off ready to go to sleep when you suddenly remember the name of the book you were desperately trying to recall earlier in the day. This is when our brains are in idle mode we gain the benefits immediately. The more we can go into this resting mode, the more we can benefit.
How can I make a change and boost creativity?
As a coach, I am always encouraging change in small steps. This is so you don’t get overwhelmed and it increases the chances of repetition. There is little point in making one big change and then never doing it again. So small steps are key to success and building new habits.
- Turn off your devices! Allow yourself the moments on the train, bus (or even the loo!) to just zone out without reading or listening to anything.
- Give yourself permission to be brain idle. Start off with just one or two minutes, and once you begin to feel the positive effects. It will be easier to allow longer times because you’ll reap the rewards.
- Leave your phone at home. Take off your Smart watch….. I know it’s not always possible, but are there some walks you can do without taking the devices with you?
- Do something physical which can be done on autopilot. When we are physically active doing a simple task like washing up, hoovering or driving (if you are experienced,) it’s possible to find moments of brain idle time easier to handle. When we get bored, we are more likely to want to engage our brains but when we physically busy, we can allow our thoughts to wander or switch off into a different way of operating.
Boosted creativity can come quickly and you may be surprised as to what difference this makes. I’d love to know how you get on!