How to get into a Creative Flow

By Brittney St.Amant, Aug 16, 2021

With the whirlwinds of life, it can be difficult to stay in a creative flow. It’s normal to not always be the most productive but if you are feeling like you have hit a burnout, it might be time to change things up and get back on track. There are a few ways you get into a creative flow as well as manage stress/anxiety and boost mental health.

Listed below are a few tips and tricks to getting back into a creative flow:

Take away distractions

Your phone not only connects you to the world, your friends, and your family but can also provide you with continuous entertainment. At times when you really need to focus, your phone can become your worst enemy and ruin concentration. With constant entertainment available at hand in any given moment, it is extra important to disconnect. Disconnecting from your electronics can give you time to think of new ideas and play within an open and creative headspace.

It is also proven that spending too much time connected to electronics can affect sleep, increase anxiety, and creates a disconnection with boredom. People nowadays never allow themselves to do anything with the fear of being bored and therefore will reach for their phone at every given opportunity. Although, boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing and gives us the chance to play around with new thoughts and get creative on new things to keep ourselves busy.

If you can’t seem to resist your phone if it’s sitting beside you while you work, try putting in on silent in a different room to remove the distraction. If this doesn’t work, try setting a focus timer. There are plenty of apps available for download which allow you to set focus times on your phone which restrict the use and block distracting apps during the timeframe.

Get moving

After sitting in one place for too long, you can get stuck in a certain pattern of thought. To break these blocks, try taking more breaks! It may sound counterproductive but getting up and moving is a great way to reroute your focus and hit refresh on your thoughts. Exercise and yoga are not only good for your general health but are proven to stimulate creativity. Whether you head to the gym, get outside, or do an at-home workout/stretch, any form of movement will provide a break to revive your thoughts. Whether it is just for a quick 15 minutes or for a full hour, it is best to get up and do anything rather than sitting in one spot for too long.

Music for focus

Music is a great way to focus and can trigger creativity! It is proven that certain types of music can encourage productivity. Music doesn’t only have to be a source of entertainment but can be therapeutic and relieve stress, giving you proper headspace to accomplish any tasks at hand. When you are trying to get into your creative headspace, try throwing on an upbeat and happy playlist! There are plenty of playlists available on apps like YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify! Some of the top genres for focus are classical, nature sounds, and cinematic. You can also find playlists based on bpm (beats per minute) – try sticking within the range of 50-80bpm for optimal concentration!

Get outside

Getting some fresh air outside can clear your mind and refocus your thoughts. Nature is a great fix if you’re feeling a bit unclean, overwhelmed, or unmotivated. Quite often, people underestimate the power of nature and overestimate the power of electronics. Sometimes your brain and body simply need fresh air and nature to get back to basics. People should make the outdoors a priority in their lives, both for children and adults.

Florence Williams wrote the book, “The Nature Fix” back in 2017 on the importance of nature in a human life. Williams talks about the restorative benefits of nature and investigates the scientific link between nature and people.

“Here are some of the essential take-homes: we all need nearby nature: we benefit cognitively and psychologically from having trees, bodies of water, and green spaces just to look at; we should be smarter about landscaping our schools, hospitals, workplaces and neighborhoods so everyone gains.” – Florence Williams

Hydrate & eat nutritiously

When you are tired, you may begin to crave treats that aren’t so good for your body or brain. Loading up on sugar and unhealthy fats can make you feel sluggish and groggy. If you eat a healthy and balanced meal, you will feel energized and find it easier to concentrate. Make sure to choose something nutrient-dense that can leave you feeling full for a long time. Also, try to find the balance between your macros – proteins, fats, and carbs – for optimal health results!