However large or small your company may be, there is always room to challenge the way things are done and inspire innovation. It's common to feel stifled by the routine of the day to day, and to combat apathy one of the best cures is to inspire creativity. It's uncommon to associate creativity with the workplace, but it's much easier to discover than you first imagined. We've collected the best tips for stepping outside of the box.
Stop Scrolling
We engage in behaviours that drain our creativity from the minute we wake up. By grabbing our phones as soon as we open our eyes we already switch our brains onto auto-pilot as we scroll through social media, and search for any distraction that doesn't present a challenge. By taking a break from socials and choosing a different activity for your morning commute - whether it's reading, a crossword, sudoku, or learning a new language - it will put your brain in a dynamic state ready to cultivate opportunities and innovation.
Take a Walk
We're huge fans of taking a break. Make sure to carve out time to switch off, and if you're able to do so, try and take a detour through nature. Shifting our focus and giving our brains a rest are fantastic ways to allow ideas to simmer, and when you're back at your desk you might find the answers to your problems just needed some space.
Colour Outside the Lines
Challenging your assumptions and all the decisions you make on auto-pilot will foster a new way of thinking. By looking at your work from different angles, and actively stopping yourself from repeating the same patterns over and over again, you may find creativity leads to efficiency, progress, and productivity very quickly.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Ever wondered what the developers do? If we're in a role that requires little to no interaction with any other part of the team, we limit our own ability to see where and how we can improve, and what we can learn from others. By taking an interest in more than just your own day to day you will find exciting ways to piece puzzles together, or even start projects of your own that you didn't know needed starting.
Go Above and Beyond
There are undoubtedly some niggles in your work environment that need fixing; a process, a piece of software, or miscommunication between teams. Take the reins on the hiccups, and find the pleasure in being part of making the workplace a well-oiled machine.
Buddy Up
Chances are that those around you a great minds also craving innovation. Finding someone who inspires your motivation and challenges your way of thinking can lead to exciting joint ventures, success, and inspire creativity day in, day out.
Final Note
If you're in a position to do so, why not think about relocating to an office space that reflects a creative environment? Give your employees freedom of space and thought by allowing autonomy over their own decisions, and see things get done that you didn't even know were possible.
If you have any tips on how to get creative at work, please email us with your ideas at hello@sundaysanctuary.co
Further Reading