It's important to step away from our work so as to engage the creative power of our subconscious mind. There are many ways to do this and not all of them are created equal. Browsing social media, for example, isn't nearly as effective as taking a walk.
In his book The War of Art, award-winning author Steven Pressfield writes of his walks: "I take a pocket tape recorder because I know that as my surface mind empties with the walk, another part of me will chime in and start talking . . . The word 'leer' on page 342 should be 'ogle' instead; You repeated yourself in Chapter 21. The last sentence is just like the one in the middle of Chapter 7." Pressfield is not alone. Many of the best writers and thinkers have sworn by their walking breaks.
Taking a stroll isn't just useful for creatives like writers, artists, and inventors. When Brad was working on complicated financial models at McKinsey & Company, he'd take walks throughout the day, especially when he felt stuck. Almost without fail, what he couldn't figure out while staring at the screen popped into his mind during or immediately following a walk.
Stepping away from your work takes a lot of guts, especially when you're on a tight deadline. Sometimes you simply don't have the time to walk very far. The good news is that even short walks can provide big benefits.
In a study cleverly titled "Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking," researchers from Stanford University examined the effects of a short walking break. They instructed subjects to take short walking breaks outdoors, indoors, or not at all. Following their walk, they assessed participants' creativity. They asked them to generate as many nontraditional uses as possible for common items.
For example, a tire could be used as a floatation device, as a basketball hoop, or as a swing.
(This is called a Guilford's Alternate Uses Test and is a commonly used method for measuring creativity.)
Those who took as brief as a 6-minute walk outdoors increased creativity by more than 60 percent versus those who had remained seated at their desks. Although walking outdoors yielded the most pronounced benefits, those who walked indoors still generated about 40 percent more creative ideas than those who didn't walk at all. This suggests that even if you can't walk outside (e.g., it's winter, there are no sidewalks nearby, etc.), taking a few laps around the office or hopping on a treadmill is still highly beneficial.
At first, the researchers suspected that increased blood-flow to the brain was the culprit behind the walks' benefits. However, it appears that the benefits might also stem from the interplay between walking and attention. Since walking requires just enough coordination to occupy the part of our brain responsible for effortful thinking, it ever so slightly distracts our conscious mind. As a result, when walking, it's easier to tap into our creative engine, our subconscious.
This explains why walking tends to be more effective at fostering creativity than other movements that require greater focus and coordination, like dancing or lifting weights.
Walking occupies us just enough to help us stop thinking about whatever it is we were working on, but not too much as to prevent mind-wandering. It's the perfect gateway into the subconscious mind and for stimulating creative insight that can help us overcome mental gridlock.
In addition to the cognitive benefits, walking breaks are also great for physical health. You've probably heard by now that "sitting is the new smoking." Long, uninterrupted bouts of sitting are awful for your health, and sitting can even undo gains from exercise. Fortunately, the latest science shows that taking just a two-minute walk every hour is protective against many of sitting's ill effects. One study even showed that these short walks reduce the risk of premature death by 33 percent.
Consider us convinced. Let's get to walking!
Too often people leave it to the last possible minute to get up having ‘snoozed’ their alarm umpteen times. By this point they’re rushing around the house, frantically getting their things together and don’t have time for breakfast. Aim to wake up 1 hour before you have to leave for work and use this time prepare your mind and body for the day ahead – remember, our minds are positive in the mornings as they are well rested during sleep. Drink a glass of water when you wake up to ensure you’re hydrated – this will also boost your metabolism.
Take 5-10 minutes to go for a stroll down the street, walk around the house or sit on the floor and stretch. Catch up on the news or your Facebook before you go into work to avoid flicking through your phone when you get to your desk. Whilst breakfast is not an obligation before you leave the house, it is the most important meal you’ll have all day, so you need to have it at some point – make sure you have a healthy snack ready to take to work for when you are ready for breakfast! Build up your morning routine by waking up 5 minutes earlier each week until you reach the hour mark.
This one’s fairly simple – you should eat when you’re hungry. It’s your body telling you that it needs fuel. This doesn’t mean raiding the vending machines as soon as you feel your stomach grumble, but eating lighter, healthy snacks throughout the day. Instead of eating a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar, replace this with a handful of nuts or, even better, cold roasted vegetables from the night before. Try to eat foods which include plenty of fibre and protein, as these will keep you feeling satisfied and focused in the office for longer, and will help you avoid the post lunchtime slump. Don’t forget that eating regularly can actually help you lose weight as well, as your body burns calories at a faster rate. It will also reduce your temptation to snack on foods high in fat or sugar.
Our favourite drinks in the office are tea and coffee. Whilst these drinks can sometimes give us that much needed caffeine boost, the effects are often short lived and do not provide adequate hydration. Drinking water throughout the day will ensure you’re properly hydrated and will help keep you focussed and alert. In fact, research has shown that being hydrated is associated with better mental performance and can help reduce tiredness and fatigue. We’re not suggesting you replace tea and coffee with water, but try drinking a cup of water along with it. Remember, the NHS recommend we drink 1.2 litres of water day (that’s about 6-8 glasses). However, don’t stress about it if you don’t drink exactly 6-8 glasses of water, as it will vary from one individual to another depending on lifestyle. The great thing is we can also obtain a lot of the water we need through food as long as we eat plenty fruit and vegetables!
Quite simply, you need to avoid being slumped in your chair all day, staring at your computer screen. Your productivity will plummet and it’s the making of a sedentary lifestyle. You need to keep your body moving! So, every 20-30 minutes take a break and walk around the office; fill up your water bottle, chat to a colleague, stretch your arms and look away from your computer screen. Some say that humans can’t properly concentrate on one thing for more than 20 minutes at a time, so taking just a few minutes for a mental break every half hour or so will work wonders for your productivity and you’ll feel better for it.
Going straight from a busy day in the office into your evening routine, whether it be cooking dinner, spending time with the family or going to the gym, doesn’t let you reenergise and reflect. In fact it’s likely to bring your stresses from work into your home. Instead, give yourself just 10 minutes alone in silence after work to refocus your mind and reflect on your day – it will leave you feeling energised and positive, and you’ll be ready to continue with your evening. Take notes throughout your day on what you have achieved and reflect on them during this time. Close your eyes for these 10 minutes, meditate or read a book – as humans we need time to relax.