Does your daily routine need a reboot?
It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, especially since so many of us are working from home these days. It can be challenging to feel creative and energized when the days feel monotonous: doing the same routine, seeing the same people, and wearing the same outfits...
While we can't yet jet off to new and exciting destinations, we can still incorporate simple and creative ideas to freshen up our routines and help us appreciate the present.
Below are some creative ideas for activities you can do to get out of a rut and add some fun and entertainment to your day. Whether you work in a creative field or seek a creative outlet in your personal life, you’ll benefit from trying these creative ideas. And the best part? These activities are budget-friendly and you can use your Ink+Volt planner and supplies you have around the house.
Move your body
There’s a reason why famous writers from Nabokov to Nassim Taleb to Virgina Woolf had a regular walking routine.
Walking is wonderful for quieting the mind and appreciating the world around you. It’s a meditative and soothing act--almost as if your subconscious is working out your problems for you. That’s why you always feel clear-headed after a good walk. Walking allows you to relax your active thoughts and let your subconscious do the work.
Even science says that walking is good for you. According to this New Yorker article:
“Walking on a regular basis also promotes new connections between brain cells, staves off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that both stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them.”
Plus, you don’t have to walk for hours to yield any benefits. A study by Stanford University revealed that even going for a 5-16 minute walk can have a positive impact on creativity.
Change up your routine
Creativity is about making new connections or seeing something in a new way. But it’s hard to feel innovative when you’re doing the same activities or socializing with the same people every day.
You don’t have to do anything drastic like move to a new country in order to induce this effect. You can introduce new elements into your life in ways big and small. Here are some ways you can change up your routine for free:
- Change your normal walking route, even if it’s for running errands or going to a different coffeeshop. This way, you’ll notice new storefronts, homes, people--all these new visual cues will stimulate your mind.
- Socialize with different people. Have you had the same friend group since college? Try getting out of your comfort zone and diversifying your social circle. Sign up for an online class or a community meet-up group. Maybe you’ll meet people who will challenge you intellectually or introduce you to new interests. Either way, you’ll get to make a new friend.
- Switch up your entertainment. If you typically love all things sci-fi, then try switching it up like watching a documentary or historical fiction. Read books by authors you’ve never read before or study a genre you’ve never read. Exposing yourself to different types of art will help you see things in a new way, which in turn, can help you get into a creative mindset.
Daydream
You may have gotten in trouble for daydreaming at school or at work, but don’t worry: daydreaming is good for you.
When it comes to being in a creative space, you want to be both relaxed and receptive to new ideas. While meditation is one way to get into a creative space, there’s a lot to be said for lying on a blanket in the park and staring at the clouds above.
Plus, letting your mind wander for a few minutes can help relieve stress.
So the next time you want to feel more creative or productive, just take a few minutes to look out the window and do nothing. :)
Embrace your creative ideas
Creativity doesn’t always have to involve a paintbrush or an instrument. Creative activities can run the gamut from crafting to cooking to DIY projects.
The key is to do something that helps you feel relaxed and gives you a sense of play. And when you do an activity that brings you the same pleasure you had as a kid, no two days will feel the same.
Here are some ideas for adding more creativity and fun to your days:
- Channel your inner kid with an adult coloring book.
- Journal with colorful pens.
- Make a scrapbook.
- Make a DIY lampshade.
- Cook a new recipe. Creativity doesn’t have to involve a paintbrush. Try to make a pie from scratch or decorate a cake or introduce a new spice into your cooking routine--the end result will be so satisfying and you’ll literally be spicing up your life :).
- Make a macrame plant hanger.
- Sit outside and do a water color of the sunset.
- Watch a movie or TV series that take place in a city you’ve never visited. Make a travel wish list and all the activities that you’d want to do. Daydreaming highly encouraged.
- Riley Sheehey’s creativity challenge. We partnered with artist Riley Sheehey who offered tips on how to do something creative every day. Some of my favorite suggestions include: designing your own personal stationery and creating a time capsule. You can find more great tips here.
