Creativity is defined as a combination of imagination, knowledge, and evaluation. Improving your creativity can help you increase your problem-solving abilities overall. In order to engage your creative side more, try new activities such as: drawing, painting, dancing, cooking, playing music, writing in a journal, writing stories, or designing/creating anything else you can think of! Also known as brain-storming, free association writing can be helpful to generate new ideas or ways of solving problems.  Write down the first things that come to mind when you think of the word creativity. Now, do the same with the word problem-solving. Write down what your problem is and any words that immediately come to mind that are associate with your problem including feelings, behaviors, and ideas. A brain-storm for procrastination might look like: anger, frustration, busy, tasks, distraction, avoidance, boss, disappointment, worry, late, distressed, and overwhelmed. Now brain-storm solutions to the problem (what might be involved and how it would feel). For procrastination this might look like: reduce distraction, quiet place, clean desk, tight schedule, calm, happy, relaxed, confident, understanding, no stress, free, peace, cleanliness, relationships, timely, and organized. Graphic representations have been indicated in developing creative problem solving skills in children. Using art is one creative way to think about problems and solutions differently. Try doing an art therapy exercise. Take a piece of paper and put a line down the middle. One the left side draw your problem. For example, if procrastination is the issue you might draw a picture of yourself at a desk with loads of papers and assignments on your desk, while you are in the picture texting on your phone. Once you have drawn the problem, draw on the other side of the paper a representation of what the solution might look like. For example, this might be a picture of you with your desk clean, phone away, working quietly at your desk. If you are stressed out about a decision or problem, it can block you from being productive, thinking clearly, and reaching a conclusion or solution. If this is the case, it might be helpful to take a break. Oftentimes we can refresh and re-open our mind simply by relaxing and doing something unrelated to the problem. Try distracting yourself with a pleasurable activity such as reading and then come back to the problem when you feel refreshed. Research suggests that your brain continues to process and problem-solve during sleep. Your dreams may even try to help you solve your problem. Pay attention to the dreams you have following a problem and identify any possible solutions that your subconscious mind came up with.
وسّع آفاقك. جرّب الربط الحر. ارسم الحلول. أبعد هذه الأشياء عن ذهنك. نم دون حل المشكلة.