Personal Productivity
Unusual Ways to Break Through a Creative Block and Boost Productivity
AUTHOR: Stacey Wonder
Feeling stuck in your work is always a challenge. Often times, you just can’t think of any way to finish your piece. Is there any method of boosting your imagination, and productivity? There are many. And today, you will learn three easy tips to beat the obstacles on your creative path, and cope with a lack of productivity.
Beat the Ordinary
How often do you feel hopeless, when struggling to continue your work? Do you think in comparison to other people, that your productivity is low, and that you could work faster and better?
Creativity is unpredictable
Sometimes, you can’t fall asleep because of all the ideas you have buzzing around in your head. While other times, you can’t finish your work because your mind is a blank slate.
What should you do?
If you feel like you are running out of ideas, it’s time to change something in your routine. Try setting up a new daily schedule, or quitting some of your morning habits. If you are used to having breakfast before going to the gym or work, change the whole order. Maybe you just hate having your days on repeat.
Getting out of your “groundhog day” and changing your perspective will cure what you were looking to fix. At first, you might feel weird. But this is exactly what you need. A little shake will give you more energy to come up with new ideas.
Hit the Switch
Ever seen that light bulb image cartoon characters get whenever they have great ideas? Turning yourself on sometimes means using a switch — not the one in your room, but the one in your head.
Why should you try switching between tasks?
When you are trapped within a process, don’t concentrate on the problem — it will unlikely bring a result that you are expecting. Moreover, it is time spent in vain. This way you will just burn out without actually solving the problem.
Don’t fixate on the problem
Switching to another task provides you with an opportunity to take a break from the problem without losing your productivity. If you are the kind of person who can’t sit on your hands, and procrastinate, find another activity or task. For example, if you can’t come up with the idea for your next scene in your novel, try creating a short story, or blog post.
Don’t wait for a block
This method can be used not only when a block has already occurred, but in order to prevent one. You can try timely alternate tasks. When you estimate the portion of time you can devote to a certain task before switching to another one, you can boost your brain activity. Moreover, this way you won’t get bored or tired of trying to create a piece.
Give your creativity a rest
If you feel that your brain has too much information to process and you just want to give it a little break, switch to manual work. You can wash your dishes, put together a jigsaw puzzle, or tend to your plants.
Set Your Emotions Free
Creative people don’t often face blocks because they lack ideas, but because they have too much going on in their heads — too much stress, too many thoughts, or too much pressure from their editors, audience, or agents.
Unclutter your mind
Feeling overwhelmed sometimes is totally fine. You just need to release your emotions and clear your mind. When your closet is stuffed with the clothes, it’s hard for you to decide what to pick — a “I have nothing to wear” problem occurs.
You need to clear your mind, as you would do with a closet. Here are a few things which could help you in this situation:
- Listen to music and dance. Nobody is watching you, so fool around just the way you want. Sing as loud as you want. Put on the clothes you would never wear outside, and pass time acting foolish. Get your cat or dog to dance with you, and pretend that you’re a rock star. And if that doesn’t work, you can always try standing on your head.
- Workout. Physical exercise is great for reducing stress, and shaking off annoying thoughts. You can have a little boxing session, or go for a run. Yoga, stretching, belly dancing, and attending gym also work effectively.
- Scream. This is a common practice of reducing stress, relieving your inner pain, and insecurities. Some people even take a ride to a forest or a meadow where they can scream as loud as they want without distracting neighbors.
Do whatever helps you manage your emotions, and clears up “the mess” in your head.
Final Thoughts
A lot of creators face blocks in their work due to the stresses or everyday routines. Overcoming difficulties and the ability to focus on results are the main components of becoming a specialist, and true master in your field.
By maintaining a positive approach, and understanding the reasons behind your creative blocks, you will see that everything in this world can act as a motivational force, that inspires inspiration.
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