Think outside the box.

If I had a pound for every time I heard that in my career in advertising, I'd have enough money to be able to keep the heating on in my home office all winter.

Yet the way we work means thinking outside the box is all but impossible.

'If you're under pressure and stress at work, then you can't think outside the box because you can't see the box" is a favourite quote of mine.

They're the wise words of leading expert in emotional intelligence and behaviour change, Professor Richard Boyatzis. His work highlights the negative impact of cumulative stress on our creativity and thinking. And this stress limits our ability to focus. We become more defensive and less collaborative. Hardly ingredients for creative success.

Whilst there are many external factors beyond the control of any of us that ramp up our stress levels, there are things within our grasp that can allow us to increase our ability to see and think outside the box.

Employers can review their culture and working practices. How they give feedback that inspires rather than threatens. How they create create psychological safety and work-life boundaries. How they create a listening culture in which employees and their concerns are heard.

If you're a leader, understand that you set the emotional tone for the organisation or team. So what behaviours are you modelling? How stressed are you? Are you a creative enabler or blocker?

Individuals can build in what Prof Boyatzis calls small acts of renewal into their daily routine. Things like a walk in nature, stroking a pet, mindfulness, laughter and play, acts of kindness, gratitude. Taking a break from your work to practice a variety of these activities every day has been shown to restore balance and dampen down the stress response.

Right, I'm off to stroke my cats for a few mins.

(Photo by Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash)