Slow Down, Your Hustle Is Killing Your Creativity
The science behind why you seem to lose your creativity when you are hustling hard and what you can do about it.
Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your creativity? The loss of that constant flow of ideas? The sudden absence of inspiration that strikes you out of nowhere?
I sure have, and I honestly hate it every time it happens. To me, it just feels like a massive mental block that I just can’t push through.
The most frustrating thing for me is that the harder I try to regain my creativity by pushing through the block, the harder it becomes for me to gain it back.
However, what I had not realized at this time was that hustling, pushing and trying to make something happen is the killer of creativity in and of itself.
Why?
Because creativity happens within the spaces — right after a long walk or shower, the moment you are just about to fall asleep, or during those slow mornings before you get caught up by the hustle/grind of the day.
And guess what? This is not just some anecdotal statement. There is actually some science behind this idea.
As you may already know, our brains are fascinating machines and they emit several different brain waves during the span of a day, and these waves are optimal for different types of tasks.
While I would love to talk about all the brain waves, we will only be focusing on two main waves for the sake of the length of this article, namely, beta waves and theta waves.
1. Beta Waves (aka ‘The Hustler’)
These waves are the fastest waves with a frequency of 15–40 cycles per second, and the characteristics of these waves actually tells you a lot about what they are optimal for.
These waves are the hallmark of a strongly engaged mind, a mind that is highly alert, a mind where you are thinking fast, a mind that is hustling and pushing under stressful circumstances.
Think of yourself engaged in a debate, doing a public speech or in an active conversation where you are trying to prove a point about something that matters to you.
Our brain in this state helps us to get sh*t done, to stay focused and engaged with the task in front of us, and this is the state that we end up in when we are hustling.
2. Theta Waves (aka ‘The Dreamer’)
Unlike beta waves, theta waves are at a much lower frequency, normally between 5 and 8 cycles a second.
Just like its frequency, it is usually present when we are in a slower, more disengaged state of mind.
Think of the times when you go for a long drive on the freeway, take a walk in a familiar neighborhood or when you take a long bath/shower.
In these moments of time theta waves become active because the task at hand is so automatic that you have the ability to mentally disengage and relax.
This relaxed state of mental disengagement is heavily associated with a free flow of ideas without censorship or guilt. In other words, it’s heavily associated with creativity.
What does this all mean for you?
It means that by constantly being in the hustle and work mode you are pretty much making it nearly impossible for your brain to get into that flow state which allows for creativity to thrive.
So, how can you allow your brain to get into this mode more frequently, especially when you have a bunch of work that just needs to get done?
S P A C E.
Intentionally creating space within my day even if it is for a few minutes to reset my mind has really helped me to keep my creativity high even when I have a lot to get done.
For me, creating space can be something as simple as being more present during the tasks I would usually rush through. Eg. really taking the time to taste and sip my coffee, rather than gulping it down in one go.
For you, it could be taking half an hour off each day to do literally nothing.
Either way, creating space daily can help you get out of hustle mode and give you some much-needed time to reset and reflect, even if it is just for a few minutes each day.
So, if you feel like your creativity is at an all-time low, don’t feel guilty to take some time off. The reality is that sometimes slowing down can definitely help us speed up!
Tell me, what do you do when you feel as if you’re in a creative rut?
