Your Low-Stress Guide to Leveling-Up Your Bedtime Routine
Are You Burnt Out or Depressed?
I was quitting my job to go back to school.
The lady who smokes on my stoop was reading Jane Fondas book on climate despair.
Fodder for innovation was everywhere!
Id also startedThe Artists Way,which is a creative workbook for nurturing your inner artist.
Then,life got busy.
director of personality and health at Northwestern University’s department of psychology
I was traveling and back-to-school shopping.
I put down the workbook and stopped writing for fun in the morning.
The tulips became part of the wallpaper.
When the world gets hectic, we tend to abandon our creative outlets.
But maybe thats a mistake.
Research is beginning to show that creativity may help boost your longevity, too.
Engaging in creative hobbies or habits can also have a similareffect to mindfulness4, says Dr. Henriksen.
Theyre about being in the moment and briefly letting go of your worries about the past or future.
Arts and creative pursuits can similarly bring you into the present.
director of personality and health at Northwestern University’s department of psychology
It allows us to increase our energy and our excitement in ways that other well-being practices dont.
All of this helps reduce our stress, which, in turn, supports our health.
These creative activities can have healing and protective effects, says Dr. Henriksen.
This means that stress is lowered.
Whenstress is lowered, longevity is frequently the result6.
[When were resilient], were more able to adjust our plans.
This kind of mental flexibility can release us from the terrifying clenches of our inner critics.
(Indeed, research has shown that having astronger purpose in life is associated with decreased mortality13.)
Creativity is a core way we make meaning, she adds.
The word creative can bring the classic tortured artist trope to mindbut it doesnt have to be this way.
For starters, not all creativity has to be productive or lead to work.
I fell upon the thorns of prose.
As Cameron learned from this simple exercise: I didnt have to be in the mood.
I didnt have to take my emotional temperature to see if inspiration was pending.
And you might, too.
Creativity is available to everyone and is innately human, says Bajaj.
At Daydreamers, we like to define creativity as our natural capacity to ask, What if..?
This is something we can all do.
But the result was never replicated, and other research showed the opposite.
Openness certainly affects your life, says Dr. Mroczek.
But not being naturally creative, or open, isnt going to significantly harm or help your health.
You dont even have to be talented, really; you just have to commit.
But other researchers believe the perks are real, and were just scratching the surface of whats possible.)
But divergent thinking can be a strength.
it’s possible for you to take an idea and expand on it in multiple directions.
Thinking unconventionally can mean youre an innovator.
From there, the platform offers tools for strengthening your creative comfort, like a muscle.
Am I trying to reach a goal or output, or is it just for fun?
How can I tap into more creative joy?
And where in my schedule can I fit that in?
Seek out boredom (yes, really)
Bajaj recommends intentionaldaydreaming.
We dont give ourselves enough permission to let our minds wander and be bored, she says.
He has no phone and no way out.
Dont automatically open your email or Wordle when youre on the subway or waiting around at the DMV.
Forgo movies and WiFi on the plane for the first hour.
Give your mind a chance to reap all the benefits of being bored.
But there are other ways beyond journaling to infuse small amounts of creativity into your life.
Savor moments of beauty, adds Bajaj.
Studies show thatawe itself has benefits for well-being.
you could also try something as simple as using a different hand to brush your teeth, Bajaj suggests.
The creative brain thrives on novelty, she adds.
It was not only special and memorableandcreative, but cheaper and easier to vacuum up than store-bought glitter.
Tap into your inner kid
Another way to get creative is to take lessons from little ones.
Children are, by nature, creative, says Cameron.But as we age, we become more serious.
We are afraid to explore our inner resources, fearing that we will look foolish.
This fear stymies many adults.
Theyre also oftenmore empathetic than adults.
Engineer ways to turn negatives into positives
Use daily annoyances as a chance to get innovative.
Dr. Henriksen
This is exactly what my most inventive friend did after breaking a favorite mug while doing dishes.
It was shattered, unsalvageable.
Maybe youre always losing your keys.
And if you connect with other classmates, doubly so, because youll have them as built-in accountability partners.
And yes, all of those things are creative.
And so are you!
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