If the sum total of your creative thinking in the last week has been, well.... ZERO, then welcome to the club!
The recent onslaught of stress, has had a definite and distinct impact on our ability to think imaginatively.
It’s a little known fact, that stress such as what we’re all experiencing to a greater or lesser extent right now, actually hijacks our higher brain functions. In doing so, it makes us more inclined to revert to habitual behaviours, rather than creative ones.
If your job or hobby relies on a constant trickle of new ideas, this block can not just be frustrating, but worrying too... and so the self-perpetuating cycle of stress and declining creativity continues.
The solution, often, is to escape the brain vacuum that is the blank page (or screen.)
Instead, immerse yourself in low-pressure, stress-relieving activities which allow the mind to wander, and mental blocks to ‘marinate’.
This process of zoning-out (technically known as ‘internal mentation’) can, ironically, be credited with more ‘light-bulb moments’ than even conscious problem-solving can. 💡
So, while the creativity drought of these brain-draining times might have seemingly swiped our skillsets sideways... remember, all is not lost!
Rest, and the rest will follow!