It’s getting to the point in the semester that we have to start considering these massive, important projects, whether it be essays, presentations, big interviews, lab research, or publishing your own work. The projects can be daunting, even exciting, but sometimes you get to the point where you can’t come up with any more creative ideas or solve the problem. So what do you do?
Take a Break:
This sounds incredibly counterproductive, but when you’ve been staring at one piece of paper for too long, you need to give yourself a bit of time to recuperate. This gives you the chance to look at the piece of art, paper, or problem from a different perspective when you get back to it in the future. Taking a break allows for more creativity to flow and newer, better ideas to come to mind.
Leave the Laptop Alone:
Not only should you remove yourself from the actual project to recharge, but step away from the laptop, the television, and the phone. Reading from actual books aides our imagination better than social media or video games. Flipping through channels and surfing the web creates a very fast-paced and information-packed environment. That sounds very good for productivity, but it’s not; constant exposure to the flickering images and blue screen can increase cortisol levels and lead to insomnia, high blood pressure, and other health risks – none of which are beneficial to your project. So take some time away from the screen and do something that will better help your brain (e.g. reading, working out, meditating, or participating in other creative outlets not associated with your big project).
Work Out – Just Do It:
Yea, yea, we get it. Working out is great for you. We’ve been hearing it for years, and New Years wasn’t that long ago. But just do it. You know the benefits – increased endorphins, lower blood pressure, etc. But this article explains the benefits of low-intensity workouts in terms of creativity. When you’re not doing something too distracting (e.g. CrossFit, surfing, mud running), low-arousal outdoor activity can increase your creativity and give you more ideas than any static activity would give you. So get outside and get moving! Let your mind work out just as much as your body.
Ask an Expert:
If you’re anything like me, you probably put a lot of responsibility on your own shoulders. You think you can do everything and you rely solely on your own brain for ideas and for answers. Stop. Yes, it’s good to push yourself and to see how far you can go on your own, but you need to know your limits. When you’re stuck with your project and don’t know where to go, get second opinions, ask people who know more about it than you, and be open to others’ ideas. Whether this means going to several editors to get your work revised, going to a professor who focused on that specific area of research, or visiting someone who works in that field, you need a different approach and some help. You can learn so much from others if you give yourself the opportunity to. This is your chance to network and improve your project drastically.
No matter what the project, these are key elements in refreshing your mind and being able to do the best work possible. Good luck and take care, HC readers!