Exercise can actually boost creative thinking due to its ability to get the heart pumping and put people in a positive mood.

If you’re stuck in a creative rut and want to take a break, try including exercise. 

From a new study on creativity in the workplace:

Creativity increased when both positive and negative emotions were running high. Next time you’re in a strong emotional state, try to sit down and focus that energy on creating something.

We are often in two very different states of mind when 

• absorbing an activity and 
• when we are trying to create something.

Turn off your “work mode” and consume more inspiration in the form of reading, watching, and observing.

Research suggests placing self-imposed limitations can boost creativity.

It forces your brain to come up with creative solutions to finish a project around the parameters you’ve set.

Looking at a situation that has already occurred and asking yourself, “What could have happened?” can boost creativity for short periods of time.

According to an analysis by Jeremy Dean:

• Analytical problems are best tackled with thinking about what could have been

Daydreaming and incubation are most effective on a project you’ve already invested a lot of creative effort into.

Incorporating breaks into your work-flow can increase your chance to come up with creative solutions to problems.

Instead of thinking of a cut-and-dry end goal to certain situations, creative people sit back and examine the problem in different ways before beginning to work.

If you find yourself stagnating by focusing on generic problems, try to re-conceptualize the problem by focusing on a more...

Research suggests that reading/experiencing something absurd or surreal can help boost pattern recognition and creative thinking.