All of us have faced the situation where however hard we think; our minds just refuse to have that burst of creativity. Creativity is a sleeping dragon inside all of us. Those who choose to poke and tickle it can unleash its effects on the world and reap its rewards. Others, who sit idly under the impression that they are not creative, will always remain the same. So, for those of you who have not tickled your dragon yet, here are 5 simple yet effective ways to boost your creativity.

Photo by Stocksnap, CC0 1.0

1. Be Happy

This may seem like some pretty farfetched advice but it does have scientific evidence to back it up. Researchers have found out that people who consider themselves happy are more likely to be creative than others. Think about it yourself, have you ever come up with a mind-blowing idea when you are brooding over something that happened or when you are angry with something? The answer will 100% be no. When we are happy our minds are free and not restricted. A volley of different thoughts floods our minds. Reduce stress, breathe in and out and unleash the dragon.

2. Do what you love

Often, those who lose themselves into their work never struggle for creativity. Loving what you do is the key for that. Albert Einstein used to say that he used to be so involved in his work that he often forgot to eat meals. Being deeply involved will ensure that you are always able to think out of the box. Taking a break from your routine work and spending time doing what you love can also help the creative circuits in our brains. It can be as simple as listening to some music, playing with a pet, cooking something for yourself or even taking a stroll in the park. Unwinding our brain is important for helping it relax and think better.

3. Psychological Distance

Distancing yourself from the problem at hand is the best way to trick your brain into powering up all its engines and running on full speed. This is similar to how a doctor cannot operate on his own relatives. The stress of going wrong is so much that he will not be able to put in his best. Fundamentally it comes down to the fear of failing. When we do something for ourselves, we are always afraid of the consequences. Tricking our minds into believing that the problem we are working on is someone else and not ours will make us think better and more creatively.  One study shows that artists who thought that their paintings will be used by others to create stories created much more “creative” paintings than others.

4. Exercise and Yoga

We end up on a creative road block when our minds have been squeezed and crushed till the last bit of creative juices have been taken out from it. To rejuvenate ourselves and replenish these sweet juices, exercising and yoga helps. Exercising is proved to relax our minds and free it up a bit so that we can work on the task at hand with new vigor and stamina. A 30-minute exercise a day can do wonders to our productivity. Yoga on the other hand, relaxes your mind and body completely and relieves stress. This also improves creativity drastically.

5. Unplug

Relaxing our mind is as important as working it. The best ideas hit when we aren’t worrying about the problem and just relaxing. Isaac Newton came up with the groundbreaking discovery of gravity when he was just sitting under a tree. Sometimes the best ideas may come while we are in the shower or driving or just sitting by the pool sipping a drink. Sit back, relax and allow your brain to weave its own magic.

Everyone is a creative thinker. We just need to believe we are and the rest will fall into place.