It’s Never Too Late To Be Creative

A lot of people believe that they have no creative talent whatsoever. They will tell you that you have either got it or you haven’t. In this article we will explain that this is not true at all. The truth is that it is never too late to develop your creativity.

 

You were Creative as a Child

 

Every human being is born with the skill to create. As a young child you had no inhibitions about expressing your creativity and you did this often. You made up things at will and you did those first drawings that your parents praised you for.

 

Kids tend to play a lot of games together and they find it easy to invent new games all of the time. It just comes easy to a young child to think of stories in their head and to invent whatever they want. A child will never be harshly judged for this.

 

Society Stifles Creativity

 

As a child gets older and starts to attend high school they are usually subjected to judgment from their peers and their teachers. Society expects them to think and act in a certain way and there is no place for creative ideas here.

 

It is indeed rare for a school, or even a college, to encourage a lot of creativity. If you have not chosen to study some form of art then you can leave your creative ideas behind. You can be lucky to land a job that encourages creativity but there are not too many of those to go around normally. Usually, you have had all of the creativity knocked out of you by this stage anyway.

 

You can Develop your Creative Skills

 

Always bear in mind that creativity is a skill that you have always had and always will. It doesn’t matter how much society has tried to stifle your creativity you can always return to it and develop it. You will need to change your perception on creativity and get back to basics but it is certainly possible to develop your creative skills.

 

At this point you may be struggling to come to terms with the fact that you did have creative talent and that it has been stifled over the years. Think back to when you were a child and remember some of the things that you did. What games did you play? Did you invent any stories or characters? How about those drawings you did as a kid?

 

If you are able to discuss this with your parents, brothers and sisters or childhood friends then do that. Your parents may have been partly responsible for stifling your creativity, but they will be delighted to tell you stories of the things that you did as a child. Brothers and sisters and childhood friends will also enjoy going down memory lane with you.

 

Believe in your Creative Talents

 

Do you ever find yourself looking at something creative and thinking to yourself “how did they do that?” or “I couldn’t do that”? If you are around creative people, do you wonder where they got their ideas from? 

 

The only thing stopping you doing the same thing is your belief. You are going to have a hard time developing your creativity if you do not believe that you can be creative. Creativity is in all of us so believe that you can bring it to the surface again.

 

The Benefits Of Developing Your Creativity

There are several benefits to boosting your creative intelligence and making a commitment to be more creative. In this article, we will cover some of the most important benefits to inspire you to take action. Developing your creativity will take time and effort and you need to be consistent to get the best results.

 

Set yourself Free with more Creativity

 

You are not subject to any rules when you use your creativity. One of the things that holds people back the most when they want to give their creativity a boost is that they are quick to judge themselves. This can be particularly difficult to overcome especially when you are just starting out.

 

Society wants us to think in a certain way and is usually quick to judge and challenge new creative ideas. When you were a child, you just did one creative thing after another because you were free to do that. Becoming more creative will help you to get back this freedom.

 

You will increasingly Trust your Instincts

 

Everyone has instincts that tell them that something is right or wrong from time to time. As you grow older you tend to trust your instincts less because they have been criticized in the past by others or even yourself. 

 

Being told that your instincts are wrong over and over again will wear you down and the mainstream does this a lot. Suppressing your instincts is the end result and when you are more creative you will rebuild your trust with your instincts.

 

Combat Stress with Creativity

 

The modern world brings a lot of stress with it and when you are in a creative frame of mind you can significantly reduce your stress levels. When you are being creative this is a fun time for you and you are focused on generating innovative ideas. This is like meditating and it will calm you down and reduce your stress.

 

Enhance your Skills to solve problems

 

As you develop your creativity you will find that it becomes easier for you to solve the different problems that you face. Some people find solving difficult problems overwhelming and this causes them a lot of anxiety. 

 

By increasing your creativity skills, you will have rock solid belief in your ability to tackle any problem no matter how complex it may seem. You will have the inner resources available to call upon to assist in the generation of creative solutions to problems.

 

Self-Awareness improves with Creativity

 

A lot of people suffer from low self-esteem and low levels of confidence. They struggle with their self-awareness and becoming more creative can improve this considerably. When you are being creative it will give you a much more positive sense about who you are.

 

Generating creative ideas shows that you have a lot of respect for your intuition and your inner-self as a whole. You gradually lose any inhibitions to express the ideas that you have and this raises your self-esteem and makes you more confident.

 

You will find Positives from Failure

 

For most people, failing is something that they would rather forget. As a person with high creative intelligence, you accept that we all make mistakes and that there are usually always positives to be learned from any failures.

 

Make Preparations To Be More Creative

If you want to get the best results from your creative sessions then you need to prepare for them properly. Going into a creative session unprepared is likely to lead to poor results. This is something that a lot of people overlook.

 

You have probably heard the story about the writer who stared at a blank page for hours because they were suffering from a creative block. Even those people that are highly creative can experience a block. If you prepare in the right way you can minimize the chances of a creative block happening to you.

 

You need your Conscious Mind

 

In a creative session you will use both your conscious and subconscious minds. If your conscious mind is dominated with thoughts of repetitive tasks that you need to do such as washing the dishes, driving somewhere, taking out the trash and so on you are going to find it difficult to generate creative ideas.

 

The best solution here is to trust that your subconscious mind will take care of these repetitive tasks for you automatically. You have been driving a car for a while and you will do everything on auto-pilot thanks to your subconscious. What we are saying here is don’t let the minutiae of life dominate your conscious mind as this will stifle your creativity.

 

Provide your Brain with the Energy it needs

 

Your brain needs energy for creative thinking. It will probably work harder in a creative session than it will at other times. To help your brain out here you need to ensure that your body can provide it with all of the energy that it needs for a better creative session.

 

The way that you provide your brain with the optimum amount of energy is through regular exercise and eating the right things. You may think that exercise and diet have no bearing on your creative talents but they do.

 

Make a commitment to exercise regularly. This can be a gentle form of exercise to start with. If you have not exercised in a while then you don’t want to go crazy to begin with. Doing too much will result in a total energy drain and even pains in certain places and this will not help your creativity at all.

 

Eating healthily will ensure that your body receives the nutrients that it needs. Today, a lot of people don’t make the right choices because they do not have a lot of time to prepare something healthy. You need to overcome this problem so that you can feed your creative brain.

 

Prepare the right Questions

 

Questions are very powerful and are a great way to get your creative juices flowing. You can ask yourself questions that are related to the problem that you are trying to solve in order to spark your creativity. 

 

One of the classic questions that creative people ask is “why?” Another is “what if?” Prepare a list of questions to ask yourself before you start your creative sessions that you know will make you think deeply to find an answer. 

 

As you develop your creativity you should find that these questions come a lot more easily to you. You will know from experience what type of questions tend to result in you coming up with creative ideas. Use the power of questions to your advantage.

 

Reasons You Should Actively Seek to Improve Your Mood

There are many reasons why you should actively seek to improve your mood. The most obvious is to feel good about yourself.

 

Other reasons are probably not as obvious to you. Although, they’re pretty obvious to your mental and physical health.

 

Let’s talk about some of these reasons and how they can influence everything that goes on in our lives.

Improve Your Mental Health

 

Your mental wellness affects your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It helps reduce stress, as well as help you cope with challenges and setbacks.

 

Having strong mental health doesn’t mean the absence of anxiety, fears, and worries. Going through difficult times is a natural part of living.

 

Yet, when you’re in good shape mentally and emotionally, you bounce back faster. You have the tools needed to face all these things head-on with confidence and resilience.

 

Being resilient means you stay flexible and focused when life throws you a curveball. You have confidence in your abilities to deal with whatever the future has in store.

 

Here are some extra perks that come when you boost your mental wellbeing and improve your mood.

 

• You have a sense of contentment with life in general
• You maintain a hearty dose of confidence and self-esteem
• You see opportunities where others see none
• You enjoy living and can laugh at yourself
• You balance work and play
• You build healthy relationships

 

Polish Up on Your Social Skills

 

We’re social creatures. We thrive when we feel connected to others.

 

This doesn’t mean we have to be surrounded by people all the time every day. It just means that our brains crave companionship in varying degrees.

 

Yes, you can always call or text. They certainly have their place and time in our busy, hectic lives.

 

Still, nothing beats the mood-boosting power of sitting down with family or friends. That quality face-to-face time is priceless.

 

You sit, you talk, and you listen — pretty basic right? But for your brain, it’s revolutionary!

 

Here’s why: studies show that our brains are wired for connectivity. Certain areas of our brains light up when we do volunteer work or spend some time with a friend.

 

Not only that, but the brain rewards us for being socially outgoing. It does so by signaling the release of two happy hormones, oxytocin, and serotonin. So, by being out with your partner, friends, or even colleagues, you’re actively seeking ways to improve your mood.

 

You should also make the most of those fleeting encounters you have with strangers each day. Make a point of looking your neighbor in the eye as you wish them a good day.

 

Look up from what you’re doing and take a couple of seconds to thank the barista or the cashier. You can even add a smile to go with it.

 

Despite taking mere seconds out of your day, those little acts of kindness are terrific mood boosters. They’ll do wonders for your day and theirs!

 

Stay Fit

 

The link between the mind and body is complementary. When you take care of your physical health, you’re nourishing your mental well-being.

 

Anytime you exercise for at least 20 minutes, your brain releases endorphins. These are one of the four happy chemicals that help stabilize your mood and boost energy levels.

 

Regular physical activity also has a big impact on your memory and concentration. Plus, it relieves stress and promotes better sleep.

 

The trick is to find an activity you like and do it several times a week. Take a walk, cycle, throw a Frisbee with your dog—the point is to enjoy what you’re doing.

 

Better still, find a group of friends and be active in a group. This will hold you accountable, boost your motivation, and improve your mood.

 

Regulate Stress Levels

 

Almost everyone on the planet knows by now that stress is a major problem. It affects our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

 

We also know that stress can’t be avoided, especially in this busy day and age. However, certain stress management strategies can help regulate stress in your life.

 

These tactics allow you to cope with life’s ups and downs. They allow you to improve your mood and feel good about yourself.

 

Here are some things you can do to reduce your stress:

 

• Enhance the quality of your sleep
• Eat mood-enhancing foods, such as fresh fruits, fatty fish, nuts, avocados, and beans
• Practice relaxation techniques, like mindful meditation, yoga, and deep breathing
• Make time for yourself and do something you enjoy
• Find somewhere to sit at a local park and soak in some sunshine
• Laugh more

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4 Ways To Increase Happy Chemicals In Your Brain

Did you know you can control your happiness? Being unhappy seems to be the new normal. So many people have their faces stuck in their phones that they’ve lost the ability to enjoy their lives. Don’t let that be you.

 

“So, what do I do?” you ask. You make use of the chemicals, hormones, and neurotransmitters in your brain.

 

These natural substances work together to help out with certain bodily processes. Their other function? They regulate our moods.

 

When you have a better understanding of how these chemicals work, you learn how to regulate and adjust them naturally.

 

In this post, we’ll share with you four ways to increase these happy chemicals in your brain.

 

Let’s get started.

 

What Are Happy Chemicals?

 

Our brain stimulates certain glands to release dozens of different chemicals. They’re sent out into the bloodstream and get to where they need to go.

 

These chemicals, aka hormones, are involved in various bodily processes. There’s a hormone for managing digestion, heart rate, and reproduction. Basically, anything your body does is regulated by one hormone or another.

 

They also have the ability to make us feel joy, sadness, hunger, or pumped up with energy. They’re usually referred to as ‘feel-good’ or ‘happy’ hormones.

 

These chemicals fluctuate throughout the day. This is why you feel lethargic mid-afternoon or excited for an upcoming party you’re attending.

 

Below, you’ll find the four main happy chemicals in our bodies. Then, in the following section, we’ll tell you how each one affects our moods.

 

• Dopamine
• Endorphins
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin

 

4 Ways To Increase Happy Chemicals

 

The great thing about these happy chemicals is we have power over them. We can either increase or decrease how much of them are released through the choices we make each day.

 

Let’s explore how you can take full advantage of these natural happy chemicals of yours.

 

Find Time To Exercise

 

Exercising has so many health benefits. The most important benefit is that it affects our emotional and mental well-being.

 

Studies show that when you exercise for at least 20 minutes, your body releases endorphins. The science behind it is that they induce a sense of euphoria.

Have you ever heard of the ‘runner’s high?’ Guess who’s behind that? That’s right, endorphins!

 

Endorphins are also popular among athletes because they can block pain signals. They do this by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system. As a result, your feeling of pain is considerably reduced.

 

To take full advantage of your natural mood stabilizers, exercise outdoors. You’ll get some serotonin coursing through your veins in addition to endorphins. Plus, working out with a group provides even more benefits than going at it alone.

 

If you can find some friends to exercise with, that’s amazing! Yet, if all your friends are busy, join a class and exercise with strangers. Who knows? You may end up striking up a conversation with one of them, which your brain will reward you for with a shot of oxytocin.

 

Cook A Meal With A Loved One

 

In theory, preparing a meal and enjoying it with someone you love can activate all four happy chemicals! Let’s take it one feel-good hormone at a time.

 

First off, there’s the bonding and sharing special time with a loved one. All those feelings tell the brain it’s time to produce some oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone.

 

The great thing about oxytocin is it doesn’t specify what type of love. Your brain will release it when you’re with your partner on a romantic night out or when you’re shaking someone’s hand.

 

Now, let’s talk about endorphins and dopamine. These are released whenever you’re eating something delicious.

 

Having someone special to share the meal with just boosts their levels even more. Don’t forget to laugh, as well. Studies show that laughter is truly ‘the best medicine’ because it triggers endorphin release.

 

Finally, there’s serotonin. One way to get some is by eating certain foods that restore your gut health, especially those that contain tryptophan.

 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It’s vital for your health, but your body can’t make it. So, you have to find foods that contain this amino acid, which your body transforms into serotonin.

 

Eating prebiotic foods is also a terrific way to support healthy gut bacteria. By taking care of your microbiome, you can regulate your mental and emotional health.

So, eat right, be happy. It’s that simple. Fascinating, right?

 

Check out just a few of the foods that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Some of them contain tryptophan as well, so it’s a win-win!

 

• Wheat and oats
• Onions and garlic
• Legumes
• All types of berries
• Citrus fruits
• Apples
• Beetroot
• Mushrooms

 

Enjoy The Sunshine

 

According to research, spending about 10 to 15 minutes outdoors works wonders for our moods. It can help stimulate the production of not one, but two, happy chemicals: endorphins and serotonin.

 

Even if it’s a bit cloudy out, take a few minutes to enjoy being outdoors. Getting a breath of fresh air as you walk around the block can do wonders for your mood.

 

If it’s sunny outside, then all the better. Just make sure you take your sunscreen along.

The reason? When you’re outside, your body absorbs Vitamin D from the Sun. This activates the production of an enzyme that converts tryptophan into serotonin. How cool is that!

 

Not only that, but the natural light from the sun cues certain areas in our retinas to produce serotonin. This phenomenon explains why many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in winter when the days are shorter.

 

Get Enough Sleep

 

Everyone knows they need anywhere between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, few people recognize the link between sleep and their hormones.

 

When you don’t get the sleep your body craves, you create an imbalance of chemicals in your body. Dopamine is especially affected, and accordingly, you wreak havoc on your mood. You start suffering from mood swings, lethargy, and lack of focus.

 

This flows onto your mental health and you begin spiraling towards feelings of despair. It can even lead to depression. Not surprisingly, your physical health will start to suffer as well.

 

To prevent all that, all you have to do is get some quality sleep. Just those few hours can really make a world of difference.

 

First off, they can help regain the balance of happy chemicals you need to feel good. You’ll also be able to manage stress better and improve your concentration skills.

 

There are tips and tricks you can try to get those invaluable hours of sleep each night.

 

• Don’t drink anything with caffeine at least two hours before bedtime
• Avoid heavy meals several hours before going to bed
• Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime
• Reduce the lighting and noise in your bedroom
• Meditate for at least five minutes before bedtime to relax and reduce stress
• Set up a schedule where you go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends