Learn more about creativity with this collection
How to set achievable goals
How to manage time for personal and professional life
How to avoid distractions
7. Re-conceptualize the problem
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 beginning. Is there a different way to think about the problem? Can you look at the issue from a different angle?
Giving yourself this chance to start over with a fresh point of view can foster creative thinking and lead to more novel solutions.
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MORE IDEAS ON THIS
1. Go for a walk
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...
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8. Get emotional
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 ...
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3. Create some psychological distance
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 ...
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6. Daydream
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...
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9. Meditate
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...
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5. Create restrictions
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...
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10. Surround yourself with blue
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...
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2. Reward yourself
Research has found that rewarding things that are already intrinsically rewarding can backfire and actually reduce motivation, a phenomenon known as the overjustification effect.
- So it might seem like offering some sort of reward for creative thinking might have th...
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4. Surround yourself with inspiration
A positive psychologist suggests that surroundings also play a role in the creative process. Stimulating environments can facilitate creativity, so surrounding yourself with things that you find inspiring and motivating can help.
- Create an office space that helps y...
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