A Secret to Producing Creative Results at Work
Here it is: Revitalize your physical energy.
The relationship between creative endeavor and physical energy is often understated. Physical energy and stamina doesn’t cause creative inspiration, but the lack of energy makes it more difficult to be creative and effective at work.
How can we expect to produce creative results when we’re sluggish or stressed? Coffee infusions are like patching a pinhole in a balloon with a piece of tape–eventually, the air seeps out and the coffee high brings us to a new low.
Here are a few quick tips for energizing your body at work:
- Take a break. Get up and stretch. Move. Stagnation hinders ideation.
- Breathe deeply and consciously – especially during your creative time.
- Drink water throughout the day. Many of us live in a continual state of dehydration. Physiological stress induced by dehydration makes it difficult to focus and think clearly. (Unfortunately, coffee actually has a dehydrating effect.)
- Sit up straight. Slouching collapses your diaphragm and leads to shallow breathing, disrupting the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide needed for relaxation. Before you know it, lethargy sets in and a nap becomes more desirable than creative work.
- Pay attention to your blood-sugar levels. When you feel your brain “check out,” have a piece of fruit, an energy bar or a handful of mixed nuts to give you some energy.
- Watch your diet. A juicy bacon cheeseburger with well-done fries might seem like a good idea at the time, but you’ll feel comatose a few hours (or minutes) later.
Mindful awareness of your body’s energy level throughout the day will help you readjust and refuel your creative engines.
(Want to learn more about ways of unlocking creative energy—even transcending writer’s block? Read Six Ways to Unlock Creative Energy.)
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