5 sure-fire ways to boost your creative thinking (according to science)

Creativity is the fuel that drives writers. When we have it in abundance, we fly along the editorial highway, racking up word counts and hitting daily targets. When it’s missing, we sit and stare at the computer screen, howling and cursing (or is that just me?).

Knowing how to get yourself in a creative mindset is critical to the writing mission. Everyone has their own methods for getting themselves in the mood (for writing, that is), but there is scientific evidence that can guide us on how to boost creativity, so we can speed along that open highway with fewer obstacles in our path.

Many studies on creativity consider divergent thinking to be a good measure of creativity. Divergent thinking is the ability of a person to solve a problem or reach a decision using methods and strategies that are different from what was used before. Essentially, a style of thinking that very much aligns with the ideation process a writer goes through when working on their manuscript.

Here are 5 sure-fire ways to boost your creative thinking (according to science):

1. Listen to the right music. Listening to music that elicits a positive mood has been shown to increase our capacity for divergent thinking. What kind of music elicits a positive mood? Well, that’s up to you. In the study, they used classical music, but you may find that thrash metal is the key to increasing your dopamine levels.
2. Surround yourself in nature. Nature can help you to be more curious, better able to come up with new ideas, and more flexible with your thinking. It can also help to recharge your attention levels so that you can focus more on particular topics and further develop certain ideas. Of course, what type of nature will depend on your setting. For some, it may be wandering through a city park. For others, it could be a hike in the mountains. Wherever you live, try and get out there and find some peace in a natural environment.
3. Go for a walk. Whether outdoors or on a treadmill, walking has been shown to improve the generation of new ideas, and the effect even continues for a short while when people sit down and get back to their creative work. When you’re struggling with your plot or character development, step away from that desk, take a short walk and see where that takes you (figuratively and literally).
4. Get in the right mood. People are more able to come up with ideas while in a positive mood than in a negative or neutral mood. However, there are certain types of creativity that may thrive more with negative moods. For example, negative moods such as anger or frustration may push us to focus on a task and keep at something until the quality improves. But if it’s ideas you’re after, then find something that just makes you feel good.
5. Take a break. Putting tasks aside improves creative thinking by reducing fixation. Work breaks, distractions, and even interruptions can help you to reset your thinking. Crucially, the key is to have a fresh perspective on a creative problem that you’ve focused on for too long.

Altogether, what lessons can we take from these points? When you need a boost of creativity, get away from the desk and go outside (ideally somewhere green). Take your walking or running shoes and put headphones on. Try and enjoy the environment as much as you can before you go back and finish the chapter and nail that word count.