10 Minute Exercises That Boost Creativity and Mental Clarity

The unconscious does not sleep, it controls all vital processes in our body 24/7. What happens at his level affects consciousness and well-being. You can become happier and healthier if you spend 20 minutes alone with your thoughts every day. Do simple exercises every day 10 minutes before bedtime and immediately after waking up.

10 minutes to sleep

Thomas Edison said, “Never go to bed without asking your unconscious mind a question.” Many famous people meditate or reflect on the past day and plans for the future before going to bed. So they direct the unconscious in the right direction so that at night it works for good, and not for harm.

Before going to bed, it is useful to stay in silence and meditate: this way you will put your thoughts in order and tune in to sleep. Recall the cases that require prompt execution, write them down. Ask yourself as many questions about them as you can. The more specific the questions, the clearer the answers will be. While you are sleeping, the unconscious will process the information in order to “give out” an original effective solution in the morning.

10 minutes after waking up

The prefrontal cortex is most active right after you wake up. During sleep, the unconscious worked in a free mode, establishing semantic and temporal connections. In the morning, the brain analyzes what was created at night and generates ideas.

Josh Waitzkin, a former chess prodigy and world tai chi champion, says he spends some time after waking up in thought. Josh retires to a quiet place, meditates and writes in a diary, writing down the thoughts that come to mind. At this time, he feels the peak of clarity, creativity and learning. Meanwhile, most modern people aged 18-44 are wasting their morning time. 80% spend the first 15 minutes of the day looking at smartphone screens. They absorb other people’s thoughts and ideas instead of creating their own.

Not everyone likes to keep a diary, but morning reflections are very useful. Think about the problems that worried you and the questions that you asked yourself before going to bed. Now that your mind is clear and creative, write down what you think of them and try to answer the questions that evening.

Using this technique, the journalist can come up with an original outline for the article, the father of the family can decide how to spend time with his wife and children on the weekend. In the morning hours, it becomes clear how to achieve the goal, useful ideas about professional contacts and new projects arise. Perhaps at first the results will not be what you want. With a little practice, you will learn how to tune the unconscious so that fresh ideas come to mind in the morning.

Physical objects are built on the basis of the project, which means that the creation of ideas is always primary. Thoughts are the blueprint for a life that you build gradually, day by day. By learning to set your thoughts in the right direction, you will create optimal conditions for the realization of goals. Evening and morning practices will help clarify the goals and determine the paths that will lead you to these goals.