4 Strategies To Revive Your Creativity After A Bout Of Stress
Let's be honest: the world hasn't been an easy place to live in lately. Soaring gas prices, general inflation, and nearly two full years of a pandemic has nearly everyone in America experiencing unprecedented amounts of stress. Though you may think this'll pass, it's likely that your body won't see things in the same way.
That's right: stress can negatively impact our bodies in lasting ways. Online health resource SymptomFind explains that stress can put you in "fight-or-flight" mode. This triggers the production of inflammatory hormones that can put your health at risk in the long run.
You may even find that stress can kill your drive to create. As an artist, this can be especially harmful. Fortunately, there are ways of relieving stress, reviving your creativity, and even keeping yourself healthy in the long run. So below are a few strategies you can try out.
Create a conducive environment
Have you ever noticed that people tend to work better at coffee shops? The lighting, soft music, and low chatter of diners combine to create an ambiance perfect for productivity. The same principle applies to creativity. A workspace needs to motivate you — and if it's not doing that at a time when your stress levels are high, it's probably time for a revamp. On our blog, contributor Wendy Dressler mentioned you can go beyond a fresh coat of paint by dressing up your walls with art to inspire you. You can also try rearranging some furniture, organizing your desk, adding a few plants, and making sure that you're getting an ample amount of natural light.
Socialize
By getting in touch with family, friends, and fellow artists, you can do more than just fish for new and inspiring creative ideas. By doing so, it helps release a brain chemical called oxytocin, which this 2021 article from Scientific Journals explains is linked to improved creative thinking. What's more, the release of oxytocin into the bloodstream also has some anti-stress effects. What you get is the spread of a chemical that won't just offer you stress relief, but allows you to easily find creative ways to express ideas that are shared with and received from others.
Go for a walk
If you're more of an introvert but want to get that same burst of inspiration, walking is a great alternative — and a wonderful solution to this creativity-stress dilemma all on its own. This exposes you to a wide variety of stimuli that can fire your neurons and get you going. Walking at a comfortable pace in the sun while breathing in that fresh air also releases endorphins, another feel-good chemical that has stress-relieving effects. Researchers from Stanford even found that walking can boost your creativity by over 60%. By losing yourself in your surroundings and noticing things you haven't before, you're sure to find creativity knocking on your mental doorstep.
Indulge in some self-care
Don't underestimate the power of an all-out self-care session. Enhance your bubble bath with candles, a glass of wine, and a good book. When getting a massage, hit the sauna too. Finally let yourself try that skincare routine with more than 10 steps in it. This should be enough to give your brain a creative reset. You can even immerse yourself in crafts that need creativity on a level you don't really need to think about, like knitting or baking. These activities should do wonders for your stress levels as well.
