10 Easy Ways to Boost Creativity by Doing Less

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best creativity magazine in the UK“, if you’re feeling like you need creative inspiration in your life, discover 10 easy ways to boost creativity by doing less.

If you’ve been feeling a lack of energy lately, both mentally and physically, and especially a lack of creativity and creativity, you probably need a reset. A vacation or a change of scenery is a great way to do this, but there are simpler ways you can start using them today.

Usually, such articles recommend doing something new and expanding your horizons, but we recommend the opposite approach: do less, limit certain activities, and even narrow your social circle.

Think Less

When your head is clogged with thousands of thoughts, it becomes impossible to focus on one thing at a time. Taking breaks throughout the day will help you focus on the right things. Simple and mundane activities like making a cup of tea can help you get a little distraction and free your head. You don’t need any special equipment or skills to practice mindfulness — just focus on your breathing and pay attention to your thoughts as they arise, without clinging to any of them.

Take Fewer Pictures

Smartphones and digital cameras have accustomed us to taking lots of pictures, not every one of which is noteworthy and turns out well. Why not try focusing on exactly what you’re going to photograph before you take the picture and limit yourself to just one shot? This practice will allow you to learn to see perspective and other photography parameters better over time.

Spend Less Time at Your Desk

Raise your hand if you not only work at your desk but also daydream, shop online, or read news and blogs. Almost all of us do the same things. But it turns out that our brains are always stressed. It’s unnatural for both body and mind to be focused on one task for hours on end. Get up, go outside, go for a walk, make yourself a cup of tea or call a friend. Do something else to shake things up, and you can return to your desk refreshed and ready to get to work with renewed energy.

Surround Yourself With as Few Things as Possible

Clutter around you is always distracting and can even ruin your mood. Clear out all the unnecessary stuff and tidy up what’s left — be ruthless, especially when it comes to your work and creative space. And even creative clutter lovers can actually make their space more organized.

Use Fewer Options

We are always surrounded by various choices on all sides: what to wear today, what to cook for dinner, what to put on the shopping list, etc. But at the end of the day, each of us only has a few options for each item at a given time. So it’s time to stop reinventing the wheel every morning, stop wasting your energy and take control of your life and activities. You don’t have to become a Jobs or Zuckerberg clone and walk around in the same thing every day, but in many situations it definitely doesn’t hurt to reduce your options.

Try Dating a More Limited Range of People

We all know that being isolated from society is a bad option. But sometimes, especially for creative people, you just need to disconnect from the world and be alone. While some projects are better worked on by a group when everyone can contribute a new idea, sometimes it’s better to abstract yourself and think things through on your own. Make sure that in your work and personal life you leave yourself enough time for yourself and your reflections.

Do Less Research

Of course, we are not talking about scientific research, but more trivial things. Sometimes we spend days or even weeks looking for some simple information, we study a lot of unnecessary information, and in the end we still choose one of the first options. Additionally, the more options you see, the less you have the desire to choose something, excessive searching leads to burnout and wasted time.

Spend Less Money

Sometimes when we’re feeling less inspired, the allure of a new product, book, piece of clothing or gadget can seem like a quick and easy solution — when in fact, more often than not, what you already have leads to more creative solutions. Just make it work!

For example, some people think that gambling requires lots of money so that they deny the opportunity to try their luck. However, they can spend nothing by playing the Legacy of Dead demo game — the same fun for free!

Spend Less Time Indecisive

If you find yourself going in circles and can’t make a particular decision, stop and take a step back. If the facts don’t allow you to make a certain choice, remember that intuition always works better on a fresh head. Switch to something else and then come back to the task at hand. You’ll see how easy it is to make the right decision.

Do Only One Thing at a Time

Today, many people try to multitask, but as a result, productivity only goes down. Jumping from one project to another literally tears your brain apart, and you only get deeper and deeper into your chosen topic. Choose one task at a time and allow yourself to focus fully on that one task.

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