But what happens when you have a strategic piece of work that also requires creativity and can’t be delayed? What happens when you’ve gathered your team together to co-create but you’re not feeling ‘it’ that day? What happens when you need to flick the creativity switch to tackle your challenge head-on?

Well, there is a way to improve your chances of success. There is a way to boost creativity to ensure you achieve your goal for the day. There is a way that’s as simple as putting one foot in front of the other!

Let’s take a walk…

Typically, when we’re walking, we’re detached from our laptop screens and even our phone screens. Whilst we might think that access to the internet and greater digital connectivity helps us to solve problems, the opposite is actually a more accurate statement. Research shows that immersion in nature without access to multi-media and technology, increases performance on a creative, problem-solving task by 50%.

If creative output increases by 60% on average amongst people who are walking versus those who are sitting, how can we expect our best work to be produced whilst sitting at a desk? Not only should we embrace the creative boost during a walk, we should harness the afterglow which also occurs when we’ve been for a walk. If we want to be more creative, it’s time to ditch the desk and don the boots.

Many of us can attest to the value of walking meetings, which often involve nipping for a coffee or strolling around the block, but we’re not capitalising on the true value of walking outdoors. Both natural and urban environments are filled with stimuli that restore our cognitive functions, yet natural environments are more restorative than urban, where our attention is still pulled ‘dramatically’ to avoid dangers like traffic.

The connection between walking and creativity has been proclaimed for decades, with walking being a key hobby for innovators like Steve Jobs and writers including Virginia Woolf. You’re not Steve Jobs or Virginia Woolf, but the benefits of walking can still be harnessed in your world. Combining a walk with a problem-solving, idea-generating activity such as a workshop, will stimulate creativity and encourage fresh perspectives.

So, whether you want to improve your storytelling skills, learn how to write a successful strategy, or something else, why not book a walkshop with House of Comms?