Embracing your inner creativity can be a real morale boost during times of high stress and pressure.
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas” – Linus Pauling (founder of quantum chemistry, molecular biology, and molecular genetics)
Whether you are a fresh graduate isolating by yourself, a key worker still working hard, or you are married with five kids trying to home-school all of them at once(!) everyone has their own set challenges during the current lockdown.
To feel happier and more in control of your situation, thinking more creatively can help A LOT. See below some ideas to get your creative juices flowing!
Brainstorm many different solutions
If you are struggling to finish your work while home-schooling your children, try discussing different approaches to manage your time more efficiently with your partner or colleagues. Would it be possible to do split shifts? Could you work better by catching up on emails in the evening, giving time to focus on the kids in the afternoon?
If you try just one approach and it’s not working effectively, things are unlikely to improve unless you experiment with some different strategies.
Ask yourself better questions
As personal development guru Tony Robbins says “If you want a better answer, ask yourself a better question.” Instead of focusing on the challenges you are facing, focus on possible solutions. Make sure you are not acting like a victim.
If you are struggling to stay positive during the lockdown don’t say to yourself,
“I hate this lockdown, it’s so boring.”
Instead ask yourself,
“How can I make this fun? What can I do to enjoy this process even more?”
Walk or run different routes
When trying to think differently, any form of movement or exercise allows blood to flow faster in our body and this enables us be more creative. In addition, taking a different route when you walk, run or cycle can help you to spark your creative brain and approach problems in a new way.
After a nice long bout of aerobic exercise, some people experience what’s known as a “runner’s high”; a feeling of euphoria coupled with reduced anxiety and a lessened ability to feel pain. You may hate running, but there are many ways to access the similar feeling of runner’s high, from cycling to walking up a big hill. What can you do more of to take advantage of this feeling?
Learn new skills
Evidence shows that learning new skills or reading a variety of books can help us be more creative, allowing us to come up with new ideas and solutions more easily. A great way to achieve this is to upgrade and develop your soft skills or learn a new technical skill.
Another fantastic benefit of self-development is that it helps us feel more positive about ourselves and boosts self-esteem. What new skills can you learn or improve during lockdown to build your confidence?
Conclusion
Dealing with personal challenges during lockdown can be hard work! Try to mix up your approach and challenge yourself to think creatively by experimenting with the approaches above. Sometimes pushing yourself outside of your creative comfort zone can be just the inspiration you need to help you feel happier and more in control.
To learn more about creative thinking consider attending a Problem Solving and Decision Making training to take your skills to the next level alternatively try Stress management, resilience – working from home course.