Creativity for busy people

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your work routine? Are you stuck and unable to generate new ideas? You are not alone. But what would you say if it turned out that unexpected interruptions, the bane of productivity, could be the secret weapon of creativity?

Recent research suggests that short, unplanned breaks can stimulate creative thinking. The key is to find the right balance between focus and relaxation. Here's how you can use it for yourself.

Introduce breaks

• Plan your breaks from work: Block short periods of time in your calendar - 15-20 minutes to step away from your desk, go for a short walk, stand up and stretch, or just look out the window. Instead of automatically reaching for your phone, take a walk or talk to a friend about something unrelated to work.

Write down your ideas

• Keep a notebook with you: Write down ideas and thoughts that come to your mind during these breaks. Use a notebook or note-taking app on your phone.

How do we know it works?

• The Google Method: At Google, employees can spend up to 20% of their work time pursuing personal projects and interests. Thanks to this, the company gains innovative ideas and solutions that appear much more easily in such unstructured time, when employees can focus on what is really important to them.

• Research by Tim Schweisfurth: A study conducted in one of the factories showed that an unexpected fire in the plant, which caused the production line to stop working for three weeks, resulted in an unexpected increase in ideas from employees for process improvements. There were 58% more ideas because employees, unable to do their actual work, took the time to think about improvements. The unexpected downtime resulted in many innovative implementations that improved the plant's overall productivity.

Unexpected interruptions can be a catalyst for creative thinking. By incorporating short, unplanned breaks and having a system for capturing ideas, you can increase your creativity and problem-solving skills. It's a simple way to introduce creative habits into your everyday life.

Enjoyed this post and are you ready to embark on your creative journey?

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