Creative Breaks Are Not For The Lazy, But For The Wise

Mar 12
2 min read

We've all heard the phrase, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." These days, you see influencers doing Facebook Lives early in the morning, the middle of the day, again later in the evening...and you have to wonder, do these people even sleep? Well...chances are, the more successful ones are probably taking more breaks than you think.

Did you know it's actually necessary for the creative mind to take a break from intense thought once in a while? You can push your brain into an unfocused stand still where your productivity all but comes to a halt.

You can't stay hyper-focused on any one thing for too long without loosing your creative edge. Some people meditate, some paint, some do word searches, and some listen to music. Whatever your thing is, remember this phrase too: "A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men." (Roald Dahl)

According to Harvard Business Review, "When you’re working on tasks that would benefit from creative thinking, consciously insert breaks to refresh your approach." Notice they said "consciously". They actually promote scheduling in your breaks rather than taking them whenever the mood hits. This statement was made after the completion of a study they conducted, which focused on creative ideation.

An article written by Robin Madell at U.S. News reports that "if you want to come up with more creative solutions to work-related challenges, pulling the plug on relentless thought about it, or even giving your mind free reign without any outside activity, might be just what you need to experience a breakthrough."

If you typically sit with your eyes glued to a monitor all day, beating yourself up for running low on great ideas and/or ambition, here are some things you can do to give your mind the rest it needs to stay productive, creative, and happy:

Stretch or walk around
Go for a short drive
Relax in a dark, quiet place
Take a power nap
Turn on your favorite music and dance
Visit The Break Room
Bike around the block

Some people reading this are sitting in an office and some are working at home. It's up to you to find just the right break options for you and your lifestyle.