How To Spark Creativity When You’re Feeling Tired
Creativity is a mashup of work and play, art and science, simplicity and complexity. If it were as easy as paint by numbers or a dot-to-dot template, it wouldn’t matter what your energy level was; you’d just yawn your way along while sipping coffee and coming out of morning brain-fog with a dozen fantastic ideas. Yet it doesn’t have to be difficult. Whether you need creative ideas in the classroom or the boardroom, at your home office or studio, try the following solutions to spark your creativity when you’re feeling tired.
Change your environment.
This can be as simple as moving to another room or workspace, or leaving the house and setting up shop at a café with wi-fi. If you have a friend or family member close by, see if you can commandeer their porch, patio, or sun-room for a few hours. Just try not to spend all your time visiting!
Take a brisk walk.
If the outdoors isn’t an option, go up and down the stairs a few times, or better yet, turn on some music and dance for five or ten minutes. The idea is to get your blood circulating and increase the oxygen to your brain. Movement does wonders!
Crawl around the house on your hands and knees.
Yes, that’s right. As silly as that sounds, doing so will not only get you moving, but allow you to see things from a different perspective. Don’t just look at the floor while you’re doing this exercise; take the time to look up. Remember when you were a small child and everything looked huge and towering? When you jumped from armchair to sofa? That’s the feeling you want to embrace now.
Another benefit of crawling is that it engages both hemispheres of the brain and stimulates your sensory system.
Eat something healthy and refreshing.
Before pouring yourself a cup of coffee, drink a glass of water or have herbal tea. Fresh fruit, a smoothie, nut-butter on an apple or piece of whole-grain toast, or filling a glass with sparkling seltzer are things that help give your body and brain a boost. Stay away from sugary snacks and drinks.
Take a shower or Epsom salt bath.
Ok, so maybe you don’t need Epsom salt; but taking a relaxing bath can stir the creative juices. As your body and mind relaxes from stress, room is made for new ideas to come into play.
Light a scented candle or use a diffuser for essential oils.
Studies suggest that certain essential oils or smells can help improve cognitive function and clear up brain fog. Try peppermint, lemon, rosemary, lavender, or eucalyptus.
Take a nap.
If you’re at home, great! Snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket and soft pillow and see if you can get in a few more winks. Recent research shows that if you drink a caffeinated beverage right before your quick snooze, you’ll wake up refreshed. So if you’re going to drink caffeine, try it like this. If you’re at work, spend your lunch break napping in your car.
Collaborate with someone.
Often, the act of engaging with another person in real time—whether by phone call, video chat, or even texting—stimulates the brain as we listen, interpret, and respond.
Try a new experience.
There are benefits to stepping outside of habit. Turn on music from a different style than you normally listen to. Do something that’s out of the ordinary for you. A change in routine can give you a lift!
Play a new video game or solve a puzzle.
Do something new. Do something beyond whatever you’re currently working on. Do something that activates your mind. Be careful not spend all morning trying to beat new levels though! Set a timer if you must.
Listen to an interesting podcast or program.
Engage your mind by learning something or listening to a topic that you’re passionate about. Take notes. Just listen to one instead of getting stuck in cyber surfing.
Get started and push through.
Sometimes the problem is just overcoming the inertia to start, but once you plow ahead through the tiredness the mere act of “doing” can bring about remarkable results.
Feeling tired now and then is normal; but if every morning you are dragging yourself out of bed or you struggle to stay awake in the afternoons on a regular basis, it could be from a health issue or possibly even overwhelm. Do yourself a favor by getting a check-up from your doctor, and evaluate your daily routine. Maybe you’re taking on too much and need to let go of a few things.
Our minds are most creative when we’re taking care of ourselves physically and emotionally. Only then can that “spark” be fanned into a flame of creativity!
I’ve got more tips where these came from on my blog. They help me stay prolific AND balanced (most of the time). Now you know how to get back in balance, too. If you want to know more or work with me, feel free to contact me for a complimentary session to discover how I can help you lead a more creative life.