4. Surround yourself with inspiration

People often suggest taking a break from a task when you've hit a creative block. Studies have found that placing some psychological distance between yourself and the problem might also do the trick.

• Researchers found that when participants imagined that a problem ...

Researchers have long thought that positive emotions were strongly linked to creativity, but further research has found that both strong positive and negative emotional states were linked to creative thinking.

• This doesn’t mean you should rush out and put yourself ...

Research has also shown that certain types of meditation are linked to an increase in creative thinking. Meditation has long been used as a relaxation technique, but recent research has demonstrated that health benefits extend far beyond relaxation.

• One study found...

One common trait that creative people tend to share is that they typically re-conceptualize problems more often than less creative people do. Instead of continuing to throw yourself at the same mental wall, try taking a step back.

• Revisit the problem from the very ...

When you are trying to solve a problem, people often rely on the obvious, building on existing ideas in order to come up with the easiest solution.

• This often leads to a good outcome, but it can also lead to mental sets and functional fixedness that makes it challe...

In today's high-tech, connected, distraction is just a click away. Instead of filling every single idle moment with apps, games, email, website visits, try letting yourself actually be bored for a spell.

• In one study, bored participants performed better on creativi...

One 2014 study found that people tend to be more creative when they are walking rather than when they are sitting down.

• Previous research has shown that regular physical activity can play an important role in boosting and protecting cognitive abilities, but this st...

Colour psychology suggests that different colours can have varying effects on moods, emotions, and behaviours. According to a study, the colour blue tends to make people think more creatively.

Why?

• According to the researchers, the colour bl...