41. Five tricks to put your brain into play mode & increase creativity
And why safety is a key condition
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We’ve talked before in this newsletter about the importance of play for creativity. No, play is not just something for kids. And no, it’s not trivial or a “nice to have.” Play is a critical skill, and it’s a scientifically proven shortcut to being more creative.
In fact, it’s a necessary condition for creativity.
So how do we get there?
To back things up for a second, being able to play means that you first feel, essentially, safe. Think about it from an animal perspective: A little baby marmot frolicking around the Jura Mountains with its friends can only do so when there aren’t hawks circling overhead—or else the distraction of play makes the marmot likely to become a snack. Most mammals (like marmots and us humans!) display some sort of play behavior. And we mammals have learned, evolutionarily, to play when the skies are clear and our environment is safe.
There are a lot of times in our modern lives when you don’t feel safe, but you are safe. You’re trapped in standstill traffic with a chorus of car horns constantly honking; you have to navigate an intimidating crush of people exiting a baseball stadium all at once; you get called in to speak with your boss unexpectedly about a performance issue… None of these things is literally life threatening, but our nervous system—which hasn’t evolved as fast as human culture invented things like traffic and crowds and bosses—can often react as if they are life threatening. Your cortisol levels spike, your breath and pulse quicken, you might start sweating, you become hyper-focused on the “threat,” concentrating only on making it end and returning to safety.
And that often makes it difficult to let go and enter a playful state of mind. So what are you supposed to do? Just wait until you’re in a cool, dark room with no other distractions to start getting playful and creative?
No. You can reverse engineer the feeling of safety!
Studies have shown that when you make yourself smile or laugh, your physiology reacts in much the same way as when you smile or laugh organically. The most primitive parts of your brain can’t tell why your body is doing something, only that it is, so they release feel good chemicals anyway. Meaning: The good mood boost that you get from “forcing” yourself to smile or laugh makes it more likely that you will continue to smile and laugh more naturally in an upward positive spiral. Meaning: You can fake it til you make it.
So why not apply that same principle to play and creativity?
Below, we’ll explore five methods to help “force” your brain into play mode, which will send a safety signal to your brain, which will then make playing (and therefore creativity!) a whole lot easier.
1. Change your environment
Our immediate surroundings have a major impact on our nervous systems, whether we perceive those effects or not. (And a cold, uninviting, sterile environment can be equally as stressful as an overly cluttered, chaotic, disorganized one.)
If you need an immediate shakeup, simply change rooms or go outside if possible. For a longer-term solution, take some time to rearrange your workspace exactly how you’ve always wanted it. Incorporate playful elements like colorful decorations, toys, or inspiring artwork—whatever feels light, comforting, and mentally stimulating to you. Just keep in mind there’s a fine line between “stimulating” and “distracting”!
2. Play a quick game
Games are a direct way to engage the brain in play mode. Choose one short word, puzzle, or trivia game to play on your phone [obligatory plug for Wordle and Connections here], or find riddles or brain teasers and answer a few. You could also go old school and play a solo card game, or get some of those novelty wooden or plastic toys that you have to rearrange, unlock, or put back together in the right order.
You can even use gamification techniques in your work tasks to make them more playful and enjoyable! Time yourself clearing your inbox and keep a record, bet on whether you’ll get something done by a certain time, or set up mini rewards for completing tasks.
3. Listen to music
I’m not talking these binaural brain-flossing beats or green noise concentration tones. That’s medicinal music. I’m talking your favorite feel-good music that makes you want to sing along and dance to it.
If you find music like that too distracting while working, give yourself a 5-song playlist to listen to and concentrate only on rocking out, or put it on during lunch. (Need we remind you of the importance of taking breaks for creativity as well?)
4. Engage in a brief physical activity
Not saying you have to do a full-on workout, but a short walk, a quick stretching routine, or a micro dance party (see above!), are great ways to pull you back to your body and the immediate moment and break mental patterns of rumination or hyperfixation.
You can also do something that just involves intense hand-eye coordination. Try bouncing and catching a rubber ball off the wall or floor, repeatedly tossing up and catching a soft stress ball, or finally attempting to master one of those cup-and-ball games that made you want to scream as a kid.
5. Find a laugh
Harder than you might think in some contexts! We talked above about the power of fake laughter, but try to find a few real laughs to open and relax your mood.
I’m not encouraging a scrolling session, but curate a small collection of videos that are guaranteed to make you laugh, whether they be funny animals, cute kids, people falling (sorry not sorry), or standup comedians you love.
If you have particularly funny people in your life you always laugh with, this is a great excuse to reach out and connect with them! Go chat with your funniest coworker, call your best friend and listen to her hilarious rants while you make a coffee, or ask your sister to send you a voice note with the most shocking and banal family gossip.
These five methods are sure to help shift your brain to a more playful place, which will calm any day-to-day nerves and put you in a more open and creative mindset. And honestly, even if they don’t, they’re tiny ways to make your days a little bit brighter and more fun!
Over to you
Which of these methods do you think will be most effective for you? What’re your other favorites that we missed? Let us know!
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Tried and tested each of the tricks mentioned, can definitely approve that they work like magic! Thanks for putting them together. 🙏😄