This is my step-by-step daily routine to help you optimize creativity today and every day. Outside of travel, I love to talk about how to be creative in daily life since I believe creativity is a conduit to happiness. I’m still honing this process but here’s what my daily routine looks like to help you get into a creative mindset.
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Why is creativity important in everyday life?
I believe we are all born creative. And I believe that, if harnessed with humility and respect, creativity can yield endless joy in daily life.
We can agree that creativity is what moves society forward. I’ve talked about this study before, which includes one of my favorite quotes: “creativity is a way of being in the world with substantive value for human-centered wellbeing and expression”.
Creativity is innovation, the generation of ideas and wild contemplation. Through creativity, we can make the impossible possible. Through creativity, we learn deep truths about the world and the human experience.
Committing my life to and reorganizing my priorities around creativity has healed me in an inexplicable way. Perhaps because creativity and wellbeing are intrinsically connected. You can’t reap the benefits of one without the other.
So as an avid creative, I thought I’d share my daily routine to optimize creativity, and the philosophy behind each ritual as supported by evidence-based research.
A step-by-step routine to optimize creativity in your day
1. Wake up at the same time every day
Although I have an error margin of about an hour, I try to wake up at the same time every day, including the weekends. Experts say having a consistent sleep schedule is important to hardwire the body to receive sleep signals. To fall asleep on time and stay asleep until the designated hour to wake.
I’m no sleep expert but the Sleep Foundation sums this up in this evidence-based article. If you’re fascinated with sleep facts (like me), I also recommend any podcast with Matthew Walker in it (ie Sleep is Non-Negotiable).
Point is, there’s a lot of science backing the importance of sleep to rest the body and the mind. If I don’t get enough sleep, garbage tends to pile up in my head. This exacerbates anxiety and can lead to depressive thoughts which act as creativity blocks.
A restful mind is a creative mind. Sleep is important to facilitate that.
2. Movement and meditation
Once awake, I make a mindful decision to ignore my phone. It’s straight to the mat for some gentle stretches and meditation.
Last year, I had a serious conversation with myself about phone use first thing in the morning. If I wanted healthy rituals to optimize creativity, I was gonna have to ditch the Instagram binge every morning.
Creativity thrives when the mind is rested. Some of my most creative thoughts happen during meditation. Some of my wildest ideas pop into existence during yoga.
It may sound counterintuitive, but the more we drain our brain of thoughts, the higher the quality of our thinking becomes. These open spaces is where creativity trickles forth for the harvest.
3. Make a cup of tea (or coffee)
After a stretch and meditation, it’s time for a cuppa.
And I actually don’t care what you make. Tea, coffee, or a full breakfast platter, the point is to slow down. To go gently with the mind, allowing it to rise slowly from the fuzziness of sleep.
After I ditched the early phone habit, I next turned to my sense of aimless urgency in the morning. You can probably relate… waking up anxious for no reason, ready to launch out the door.
But nothing is that important at 8:00am.
Instead of heading out or jumping on emails, I force myself into the kitchen and make something nourishing.
Nothing is more mindful than being in the kitchen. In fact, I wonder if that’s why we struggle with it, because so many have lost the ability to slow down. A cup of (whatever) feeds the body and the soul. It’s an invitation for positive energy to take the reins for the day, and that’s when the good stuff starts to happen. Inspiration. Motivation.
It may not seem important but I find taking the time for a nice cup of tea in the morning is an important notch in the routine to optimize daily creativity.
4. Get all the boring tasks out of the way
Now that I’m sorted, I like to tackle all my boring admin stuff.
I know others prefer to be creative in the morning. But I find it hard to get absorbed by the creative flow if there are tasks which require my attention. They buzz in my head like flies until I complete them.
For an hour or two every day, I get all the boring stuff out of the way. I do this daily to make sure it never adds up so I can stay ahead of overwhelm.
Then I get free rein for the rest of the day to be as creative as possible.
5. Do some cardio
This may not be news to you but it’s worth repeating: exercise is crucial to wellbeing. And when it comes to creativity, cardio is one of my key rituals.
To be honest, I exercise primarily for my mental health. The physical benefits are a bonus at this point.
If you take anything away from this article, let it be this: exercise is crucial for optimal creativity.
When life gets heavy, no amount of meditation or sleep abates the darkness in my brain. Going on a 20-minute run is like a giant reset button. I’ve had some wicked ideas while on a run. My thoughts are braver, my ideas more adventurous.
Moving the body moves our thoughts around so we get a different perspective. We think clearer. We sleep better. Ideas begin to flow again.
6. Take breaks with a mindful activity. Bonus points if you go into nature.
As discussed in #3, doing a mindful activity can help rest the brain, which nurtures creativity. Don’t be afraid to take breaks throughout the day, and often. Go for a walk. Stretch. Make more tea.
If you have the luxury of working from home, make yourself a nourishing lunch. If you can, go into nature and admire all of earth’s creations.
I learned long ago that creativity is a fickle beast that can’t be summoned via routine or sheer will. But we know what doesn’t work for creativity, and that’s stress.
So although we can’t harness creativity directly, we can open pathways within our minds to allow it to flow through like water.
Taking a break to do a mindful activity is just another method to relieve stress and allow creativity to flourish. Particularly if that activity is outside where you can hear the birds and the trees.
7. In all the spaces in between, practice your craft
Through all the methods above, you now need to take time and practice your craft. Disclaimer that this is true whether you’re feeling creative or not.
Our craft is perfected via a formula of practice and creativity, and the two don’t often cooperate.
Trust that you will not always feel motivated or inspired. But you can have structures in place to help return to your craft as part of your daily routine.
If you’re a writer, is your desk optimized? If you paint, are all your supplies within easy reach?
As a photo/videographer, my gear is always charged and packed so it’s as easy as flinging on the camera bag and heading out the door. As a writer, my desk is equipped with my favorite quotes, art, a candle, fidget toys and snacks.
Practicing your craft is an essential daily routine to optimize creativity in your day. Because most times, it’s not creativity that comes first. It is the planting of the self to do the thing we claim we love, and consistently.
8. Escape into another world
At the end of the day, it’s time to turn the brain off.
Choose an activity that feels restful yet stimulating in a joyous, child-like way. Something that will lift the heaviness of the day. For me, this is a fantasy book. Sometimes it’s an anime. If I’ve had a hard day, I lie on my yoga mat and watch the clouds.
It’s important to have activities that stimulate the brain and let the imagination run free. To entertain wild ideas and other worlds.
We often take ourselves too seriously. Adding an activity like this reawakens the child within. And children are the experts in creativity.
9. Go to sleep on time
As discussed above, it’s important to have a consistent sleep schedule. For me, going to bed on time is difficult. Especially when a good fantasy book is involved.
Having a night ritual helps. Sleep experts say taking a hot shower in the evening is a great way to prep the body for sleep. I also enjoy luxuriating in a long skincare routine. Or some breathing exercises just before bed.
And here’s a super-tip: before you fall asleep, set an intention.
We too often underestimate the power of intention. It is a straight command from the subconscious to the rest of the brain.
As my eyes get heavy, I speak to my body. I often wish it a happy journey into the dreamland. I ask it to sleep restfully and heal anything that needs it. Sometimes I set an inner alarm and it’s eerie how my body obeys the next morning.
Guide yourself gently into sleep. Get up the next day and do it all over again.
I hope you glean some wisdom from this routine to optimize creativity in your daily life. A last note that we can’t be perfect in hitting our creative routines every day. So it’s important to be compassionate with ourselves. The more we prioritize slowing down and honoring our wellbeing, the more we’ll experience creativity flourishing in all corners of the mind.
