Whilst these two labels are often used interchangeably, their difference lies in outcome. Creativity is judged on its originality, whilst problem-solving is judged on effectiveness. As marketers, we need to identify and solve customer problems, but it’s highly likely that creativity or creative thinking will help us to do that. But the power of problem-solving extends beyond our working lives as marketers and into life itself. Hence if we can learn how to be better problem-solvers, it will impact our lives inside and outside work.

One proven way to improve problem-solving is to walk. There are now many studies that show the positive impact of walking on our problem-solving abilities. One of these found that immersion in nature, without access to multi-media and technology, increased performance on a creative, problem-solving task by 50%. But there are many ways to walk which can improve our brain power.

Ways to walk that improve problem-solving

• Walking in cold weather keeps our brains in good working order. A 2017 study from Stanford University found that people thought more decisively, calmly and rationally in lower temperatures. An earlier study in 2012 found that warm weather not only impaired people’s ability to make complex decisions but made them more reluctant to engage with the decision in the first place.

• Walking in woodland not only benefits our bodies but our minds too. Researchers in Barcelona found that people living in leafy neighbourhoods remained mentally sharper. Similar research in the UK found that that people who had lived with abundant trees and foliage over a ten-year period had slower cognitive decline.

• Walking with a map expands the mind. Not only does our navigational muscle – the hippocampus – grow, but researchers now speculate that this region of our brain responsible for spatial navigation also plays a part in prediction, imagination and creativity, where we use our mind’s eye to make decisions.

• Walking with other people improves communication flow and open dialogue. When we walk with others we experience feelings of social connection, acceptance, belonging and safety, all of which make it easier for us to share and exchange confidences, thoughts and ideas.

• Walking whilst working (i.e. walking on a treadmill) improves our recall. In one study, treadmill workers experienced greater self-perceived on-task attention, meaning they felt more focused, more attentive to the task in hand. Another study found that workers who used a treadmill desk for one year became more productive and more creative.

The link between physical activity and divergent original thinking is now well established, with multiple studies agreeing that walking and movement stimulates creativity. This creativity provokes more and better-quality ideas. So, next time you need to define and solve problems creatively, why not book a team building walk or a walk-and-workshop with House of Comms?