7 Tips to Get into a Creative Flow

Exercises to Boost Your Mental and Physical Health

We live in a production society. We, here in the US, are the most overworked people in the world. It is not uncommon for us to have a side hustle on top of our 9–5. We are stressed out as a whole in productivity feeling drained by the time we get home.

Then, at home, there’s laundry, homework, dinner, and clean up.

It is a lot.

And all you want is to collapse on the couch and watch TV.

You are frustrated. After scrolling through your social media mindlessly, it’s clear to see you have less energy (or so it appears) than all your other friends.

Burnout is real

You finally climb into bed. All you’ve been thinking about since you got home was getting into bed. But now that you’re in bed your brain turns up the volume. You can’t fall asleep because you suddenly remember all the things you wanted to accomplish during the day. After hours of trying to fall asleep, you do finally drift off just in time for your alarm to sound.

This is 40, you tell yourself. This is just how the ball rolls. But that thought doesn’t really sit well inside and leaves you feeling depressed.

You don’t want to feel anxious all the time. And you’re beginning to wonder if it’s possible to break out of this ongoing cycle.

It’s time to get into a creative flow

Here are 7 ways you can boost your mental and physical health.

1. Practice Gratitude

Get into the habit of saying thank you.

Before you go to bed write down and think about what you are grateful for in life. We tend to focus on what went wrong, and what we don’t want. This will only manifest negativity. Keeping track of moments you are thankful for can improve your well-being.

If you know that before bed you have committed to writing down thoughts of daily gratitude, you will start to look for things throughout your day to write about. You will take better mental notes of positive moments in your daily routine.

You’ll find that this keeps you optimistic, happy, and even social situations will come more easily. Looking for things to be grateful for will help you to see a distinct difference in how you approach life.

This mindful repetition opens the door for dopamine to flood your system. Making you feel happier, while lowering your stress. This natural antidepressant taps into the pleasure center of your brain.

Start small. Three things everyday that you are grateful for. Every week add another until you are at 10 things.

Small acts everyday are what pave the road to success.

2. Experiment

What would happen if you took another route to work? What if you made something new for dinner? Or got busy doing that Pinterest project?

There are all kinds of ways to experiment. Pushing you out of the day to day routine that had bored your mind into mush.

Experimenting helps build new pathways of thinking in your brain.

Leaving you more sharp when you return with a new mind to daily functions.

Experimenting can actually slow the rate of age-related mental decline. Making you a better problem-solver. Build on your processing speed. And taps into our slowed down functioning skills to help reboot their processes

3. Surround yourself with positive people

Easier said than done when you yourself have been the Debbie downer. Or perhaps your toxic work environment or partner keep you tied to the comfort of warm swampy waters.

This may be a tough one.

Remember, like attracts like.

There is a quote I love by motivational speaker Jim Rohn that says:

“we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”

Think about that one.

Who are you spending your time with?

When you surround yourself with people who uplift, support, and inspire you, you can’t help but want to better yourself.

If at first you feel stuck, start reading about positive people, and let that inspire you. Surrounding yourself with positive people will help improve your quality of life and your mental health.

4. Stick to healthy habits

What goes in comes out. Think about what you put into your body. What is it feeding? There are direct correlations between eating well and feeling good. Certain foods can boost brain power and make your system run more efficiently.

This goes beyond food too.

What are you taking in visually? What are you taking in verbally? This is all getting stored and sorted, and then pushed back out. Forming how you see the world.

If you love a certain unhealthy food (where my ice cream lovers at?) eat it. Just not everyday. Add some healthy programming into your day. Notice how you talk about things and how those words make you feel. Watch something positive. And for goodness sakes turn off the news. Be informed, not inundated.

Keep in mind that bad habits may provide you with short-term satisfaction, but they all are attached to long term health risks.

5. Play a game

Board games are a great way to relax, have fun, connect with others, and work your brain all at the same time. It’s a great way to break out of your routine too.

Have a friend who you’ve had a hard time connecting with? Plan a Thursday evening game night. It’s two hours of your normal night routine with some added fun. You are also helping those you love break from their own nightly ritual to connect — Look at you go.

Start a monthly Bunco night with your girlfriends and rotate the location.

Puzzles, ah puzzles, one of my true loves. You can easily chat and concentrate. Or just concentrate. Perhaps you’re 12 year old nephew doesn’t have much to say to you anymore, but you both still want to connect. Puzzles are the answer. Just be in another’s presence while accomplishing a common goal. It builds relationships, from the boarder inwards.

6. Get Physical

Exercise is the key to any healthy mindset. It boost your immune system, and is a sure fired way to get you out of a rut. As endorphins hit your bloodstream your mind opens up. Making it easier to receive new inspired creativity.

I know it’s hard when you feel burnt out to get to a gym. If this is the case, don’t. Find a way to work out the might not feel like working out. This can help trick yourself into getting physical.

Plan a weekly hike. It gets you outside with some fresh air.

Winter got you down, try hot yoga and sweat it out.

Clean out the spare room. It’s a great workout. You’ll move your body while dumping some emotional baggage as well.

Rekindle some healthy romance, that’s burning calories in all kinds of ways.

Find what works for you, just start moving. A 15minute walk during your lunch everyday could be enough to make huge changes.

7. Restrict Screen Time

Bluntly, put your phone away. Delete the apps that don’t serve you. And put a time limit on your social media time. How fast does an hour go by when you are scrolling. Jumping from all your social media platforms. Seeing all the same things. This is not healthy.

Think what you can do in 15 minute instead of scrolling. How many books could you read 15 minutes at a time. Put a blocker on your phone that helps prevent you from picking up your phone in the first place. Go on a hike, make a skirt, crochet a scarf. Do something amazing so when you do get on social media you can post something awesome that you’ve been working on. You’ll feel so much better than sharing that political post designed to separate us.

Our Brains thrive on being in a creative flow.

So if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time. If stress is taking you out of joy, start engaging your brain. Small changes done consistently will take your life in a new and exciting direction.

Sharpen your thoughts. Fall asleep with ease. Be excited to start your day. Have more energy.

Get creative with yourself. Make decisions today that the future you will thank you for.