To be Creative, You Have to Relax

Creativity doesn’t happen in stressful situations. It happens when we’re calm.

By Shabana Feroze, Founder, Managing Director, Silver Kick herself

There’s a direct correlation between being creative and feeling relaxed. You don’t get your best ideas when you’re stressed. You get them when you’re taking a shower. When you’re falling asleep. When you’re on the throne.

(I don’t know why the bathroom features highly for us humans finding our best ideas, but it’s true.) You’re never going to be creative when you’re under duress or when your boss is yelling at you for your top 3 ideas now now NOW!

Our brain functions at its best when we’re relaxed. When we’re calm, even when we’re happy. Especially when we’re happy. Why then, do so many companies forget this (or let’s just say they don’t remember this in the first place) and put so much pressure on their employees to deliver their absolute friggin’ best? You have to do the opposite to get the best creativity from your team- remove as much pressure as possible. So they can find joy in it.

Remember that creativity is not just for the stereotypical creative fields such as art and advertising. Being creative means that you look at problems from another angle. You use innovative thinking to find solutions. Most often, the best solutions are the simplest ones. And the simplest solutions come to a mind that’s uncluttered by stress and mean words written by your boss in your last email.

And if you’re creative, you’re also productive. Because you’re finding the best, easiest options for doing your work faster and better. So the employee who gets their work done in 3 hours as opposed to someone else who takes 6 hours to do the same thing, is probably finding creative solutions to getting their work done. Of course, other factors also contribute to this, but let’s focus on the aspect of creativity for now.

Forget about your team for a moment. Think about yourself. When you feel overwhelmed, the best course of action is not to overwhelm yourself more. Thinking about how close your deadline is. How spectacularly you’re going to fail. And how you can never do anything right in life.

It’s to take a few belly breaths. Make yourself a cup of tea. Maybe lie down or take a power nap. Or sleep on it overnight. (Research shows our brain solves problems while we sleep). Ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen if you fail. Accept that scenario. Basically, do whatever it takes to calm yourself down.

You know that that’s when all the great ideas hit you. Because you finally let your super incredible subconscious tackle the problem and find magical solutions.

If I were to put a few points together on how you as a team leader or manager, (or simply as a manager of yourself) could find ways to relax and maximize creativity, here’s what I’d recommend:

• Wellbeing: Look after your wellbeing and that of your team. Make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself and others. This means that you get enough rest, eat well, and reduce as much stress as possible. ‘Healthy lifestyle choices’ isn’t just a cliche.

• Slack off: Don’t overload your daily work. Make sure you have some free time during your workday. And remember to do the same for your team members. If your brain is constantly hammered by a long to-do list, it’s too much pressure on yourself.
• Play: Playing enhances creativity and relaxation. Do something fun and playful as often as you can. Board games on weekends, colouring books, video games and table tennis at work. Anything that lets your inner child feel happy. Encourage playfulness with your teams. Crack jokes, send GIFs in work chats and emails. You don’t have to be so serious all the time.

• Prioritize Comfort: You’re not going to feel relaxed if your work makes you feel uncomfortable. And look, maybe you hate your job but you have to do it to pay the bills. But that’s even more reason for you to make your workspace as comfortable for you as possible, right? So light a candle, add a comfy cushion, personalize your desk. Or choose to work from home if that makes you feel more comfortable. And remember to wear comfortable clothes. When you’re comfortable, you’re in a better mood. It’s as simple as that.

• Find the Humour in Everything: A great sense of humour helps to relieve stress in every situation. Client giving you a hard time? Make a joke out of it. You failed at something? Laugh at yourself. And keep the humour clean. Don’t make too much fun of anyone and don’t get too self-deprecating. There are always boundaries. But find ways of laughing at yourself and laughing at the situation. Laughter will always help you think better.

These were just a few tips on how I like to keep my team and myself relaxed and happy while working. I’m sure you have your own ways of doing this. And even if the only take away you got from this article is to reduce pressure on yourself and your team, then my work here is done.

About the Author

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded working in corporations. She has experience marketing international brands like Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, Costa Coffee, and more. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.