10 Tips for Increasing Creativity in the Office

This is a guest post by John Brook. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

You are expected to be creative at your workplace. You are supposed to look for new connections and seeking out new horizons while you are working. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to keep the creative energy at full steam ahead. Here are ten ideas to help you get a creative boost.

#1. Chat With Friends
Friends are concerned with your well being. They will be happy to talk about their own passions, allowing your brain to rest from the constant performance pressure. Learn about what they’re doing and listen to them speak about their passions. If you have friends in the field, talk to them about the situation.

#2. Do Something Different
Find something completely different to which you can devote your attention. Actively listen to the music that is playing on the speakers. Talk to different people. Go to any networking events or conventions that are in your area. If you are a writer, everything goes into the catalog of ideas.

#3. Brainstorm
Write down a stream of consciousness list about a subject. Intentionally write a list of bad ideas. Brainstorm a list of the worst breakfast cereals, fictional or not. With brainstorming, there are no truly bad ideas. This exercise is intended to get your brain pumping once more.

#4. Keep a Healthy Attitude
A healthy attitude is quite important to keeping the river of creativity flowing. Know that the current lack of good ideas will not last forever. Your mental batteries just need to be recharged. Keep a smile on your face. If you can’t smile, fake it til you make it.

#5. Look at the Past
Think about the projects that you have done and see if there is anything that you can do to improve upon them. See if there are any openings to expound on your subject matter or polish your words. If you have written a training manual, could your illustrations be more effective?

#6. Mind Maps
Write your subject in the middle of the page. From there, start writing words and phrases which are related to the word in the middle. Start writing the words and ideas that relate to the words and ideas. Allow yourself a limited amount of time, else you will cover the room with related items.

#7. Walk Away
Take an hour to walk around the building or parking lot. Walk through the hallways at your work or walk out to the home garden. Your brain needs to recharge. The break that you give your brain will pay off later in great ideas.

#8. Take a Nap
Take a nap. They give you that necessary time to recharge. You need to recharge, and napping is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some sleep. Don’t allow your nap to go over two hours. When you come back, you should be refreshed and invigorated.

#9. Play the Percentages
Let those bad ideas come out and play. If you have been successful, you have probably had quite a number of bad ideas. You want the ideas to be coming as often as possible because you never know which one is going be the idea that will propel you to superstardom.

#10. Clean Your Desk
The energy within your workspace might be stifling. Take the time to clean off your desk and the floor. Sometimes, ideas will come while you are putting things away. Take a note of those ideas and keep working. As you eliminate clutter, your mind will feel more relaxed.

You will become more creative with the frequency that you use your creativity. When you are slumping, take the time to recharge your creative energies by mind mapping, taking a walk or cleaning your area. While you are doing other things, make sure that you have a pen and paper with you to capture the ideas.

John Brook is a writer who works at Office Kitten, one of the top suppliers of office stationery for businesses in the UK.