Boosting Creative Energy

It’s the end of the week, and the anticipation of weekend plans has everyone abuzz around the office.
At first we thought it was just us, but a Health.com study confirms it…this anticipation of a mental break actually helps us work better.  It’s like we’re adrenaline junkies and every hour has us working more intensely toward our fix.
Although we’re not quite as intense as this guy,

The article shares with us the benefits of a “mental health day” (or two).

Studies confirm that time off — whether on a trip out of Dodge or a 24-hour staycation — relieves stress, lowering your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease.
It also promotes creative thinking (attention, bosses!). And women in a 2005 study who took two or more vacations per year were less likely to be depressed than women who took one every two years.
Can’t swing more than a few days away? No problem: The length of a vacation had no bearing on how happy it made people, according to a recent study in the journal Applied Research in the Quality of Life.
What’s more, the biggest thrill came before the vacation. So spread around the joy of that sweet anticipation by planning short jaunts throughout the year instead of one big blowout trip.

Alright, so anticipation of break time + actual break time= creativity.  What else?
Believe it or not scheduling time to be creative will boost your productivity.
That’s right, if you are planning a specific time each day in which to brainstorm or work on your most creative projects, it helps your brain develop a high-level processing routine so you will always be at your best.
Conversely, we know even that can be tricky.  That’s why we also recommend adding unstructured “free time” into your day as well.  This is time to go play, workout, read a book, listen to music.  Really anything that gives you a brain break, or rather, focuses your brain on completely different subjects than your work will help you come back to your projects refreshed and with a whole new outlook.
There you have it, a few tips to get you creatively through a Friday afternoon.
Until next week then.
Enjoy those mental health days!