This post may contain affiliate links. Every link is hand-selected by our team, and it isn’t dependent on receiving a commission. You can view our full policy here.
The next time you’re asked to brainstorm new ideas, prepare for a presentation or answer how a raven is like a writing desk, you better get out of your seat and get a move on. No, really. A series of four experiments from Stanford University found that taking a short walk helped people think more creatively. Even after the walk was over, study participants experienced a residual boost, bringing their A-game long after their stroll had ended.
It may be a hard sell to get your boss to start “walking meetings,” but that’s okay. Just use your lunch break to take a 20-minute tour of the block surrounding your office. Sure, you may look weird to the cigarette-break crowd, but who cares? This power play is a double victory: You become a workplace MVP with your out-of-the-cubicle ideas and you sneak in a little cardio to offset all that sitting (and we’ve all heard how bad 8+ hours with your butt plastered to a chair can be).
Another tactic that could help you think more creatively? Try brainstorming while taking a shower before work. It’s how Pharrell dreamed up his hit song, “Happy,” and says the sensory deprivation it causes — basically, all that water from the showerhead acts as white noise, so your brain can’t be distracted by any fleeting noises — helps him get in the zone and really focus on songwriting:
Photo: Loudge/Unsplash