For a long time, it was popular belief that creativity was inherited. You either had it or you didn’t. But recent studies have shown that creativity is a skill like any other – it can be learned and practiced. And while some jobs require more creativity on a daily basis, any role benefits from some extra imagination. After all, innovation is important across all departments.
At clovio, we know how important creativity is no matter the role. Creativity helps our writers produce top-quality content, our partnership account managers create innovative deals with our partners, and our web developers produce eye-catching and functional websites. But when the muses are on vacation, we all need a little help to get the creative juices flowing.
Eliminate Distractions and Interruptions
For someone to be creative, they need to be focused on what they’re doing. That’s not going to happen if you’re watching a YouTube video out of the corner of your eye or getting distracted by your phone notifications. So, one of the first things you should do is to eliminate all possible distractions and interruptions. Put your phone on silent or airplane mode and only keep the tabs you need open. If you live with kids or loud roommates, remove any noise by either working in a separate room or listening to music with earphones.
Establish a Dedicated Workspace
We agree that the bed looks like the comfiest place to work from. But just because you can work from your bed doesn’t mean you should. In fact, working in the same place you rest may impact your sleep, as whenever you’re in bed you’ll start thinking about work. Meanwhile, it’s also easy to get distracted if you work in the living room where your TV reminds you about that show you’re hooked on and want to finish as soon as possible. That’s why we recommend having a dedicated room for your home office. But if you don’t have the space for a home office, at least have a designated desk to work from.
Listen To Music or Podcasts
Some people can only be creative in complete silence – others, not so much. If you’re one of the latter, we recommend listening either to music or podcasts. It really depends on what you prefer. At clovio, some of us can’t focus with people talking and prefer to use apps like Noisli, which provide background sounds like leaves rustling in the wind and rain falling. However, others prefer to fill the silence with the sounds of voices to help get that authentic office experience. Try both methods and use the one that works best for you.
Change the Scenario
Your job may start feeling monotonous when you work from home 24/7. If you feel that you need a change of pace, you should change your work environment for a few days. Sometimes working from another room of your house is enough. But since you’re working remotely, you can also try to work from a coffee shop, library, coworking space, or even go to the beach – anywhere outside, really.
Take a Break
Let’s face it, there are times when you can’t come up with a good idea no matter what you do. So, your best bet is to take a break. Go for a walk, take a shower, watch a YouTube video – basically, do anything that isn’t related to the task you need to tackle. If you work in a company where you can’t take a break whenever you want to, do other easier tasks on your to-do list. This allows your brain to process the information in the back of your mind, and when you finally come back to your main task, you’ll have a fresh idea of how to complete it.
Practice Self-Care
Finally, it’s essential that you take care of yourself. If you don’t sleep enough hours, get proper food, or deal with constant stress, you’ll have a harder time being creative. So, make sure you have a self-care routine and that you take some time for yourself. Set strict boundaries in your working schedule and leave some free time to relax every evening. Exercising is also a great way to improve your overall mental state, and meditation can help with stress. By having a healthy body and a healthy mind, your brain will have an easier time coming up with creative ideas.
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