Being overly stressed is a major drawback faced by the majority of people in our modern way of life. Much research has therefore been invested into understanding how stress affects the brain and body. In and of itself, stress is not actually a bad thing, so long as it is experienced only in short doses. Temporary stress or application of pressure can actually aid you in enhancing performance, improving memory, and accessing abilities you may not even realize you have. However, extensive stress is very detrimental to your wellbeing, both physical and mental. Chronic stress has been linked to causing various illnesses, including stomach ulcers, digestive issues, heart problems, high blood pressure, decreased libido, weakened immune system, inhibited growth processes, and more. It essentially stops the normal functioning of the body in order to channel all resources into handling whatever perceived threat is causing the stress. In this presentation, learn how to access creativity without adding additional stress to your life?

1. Is Stress Impacting
Your Creativity?
Theresa Bullard, P.h.D.

2. Here are the essential keys to stress reduction
and opening creative flow:

3. Being overly stressed is a major drawback faced by
the majority of people in our modern way of life.

4. Much research has therefore been
invested into understanding how
stress affects the brain and body.

5. In and of itself, stress is not actually a bad thing,
so long as it is experienced only in short doses.

6. Temporary stress or application of pressure can
actually aid you in enhancing performance,
improving memory, and accessing abilities
you may not even realize you have.

7. However, extensive stress is very detrimental
to your wellbeing, both physical and mental.

8. Chronic stress has been linked to causing
various illnesses, including:!
-stomach ulcers!
-digestive issues!
-heart problems!
-high blood pressure!
-decreased libido!
-weakened immune system!
-inhibited growth processes

9. It essentially stops the
normal functioning of the
body in order to channel
all resources into handling
whatever perceived threat
is causing the stress.

10. So how do you access creativity without
adding additional stress to your life?

11. First it is important to realize that you don’t have
to strain or wrack your brain for that next
creative idea or innovation.

12. Stressing yourself out is
quite counter-productive
to the whole process.
Rather than stressing to pull
out an idea from your head,
you can simply choose to
loosen up and allow it to
come through you.

13. By training yourself to relax the body and
brain at will, you can drastically reduce
the effects of stress and open up the
circuits within you again to allow for
greater access to creativity and wellbeing.!

14. Research has shown that brain
activity begins to change within just
a few days of learning to meditate,
decreasing stress, improving your
mood, and supporting your health in
many ways.

15. Upon relaxing and closing the
eyes, yet still remaining awake,
we quiet down the cortex, and
the brain begins to be flooded
by what are known as Alpha
brainwaves (neural oscillations
rhythmically varying between
7-13 Hz, beats per second).!

16. This carries our awareness deeper into the sub-cortical
regions of the brain.

17. Such shifting from the outer to the inner, by
closing the eyes and tuning in to more
subtle awareness, bridges us to the deeper
limbic regions of the brain, where the reward
centers lie.

18. It is in this state that you are best able to hear the
quiet thoughts in the back of your mind revealing
an insight.

19. In addition to meditation,
other approaches such
as spending time in
nature, listening to
inspiring music, dancing,
singing, drawing or
painting feelings, and
stimulating the five
senses can open us up to
being more receptive and
allowing creativity to flow.

20. Check out our Creative Alchemy CD, a guided
meditation that helps you to access higher states
of consciousness and reach your goals.

21. Other essential keys for allowing
creativity to flow include:

22. #1 Fluency

23. By learning to allow, creative people become fluent
at generating new ideas. Fluency connotes fluidity
and flow.

24. Training ourselves to traverse through the
multiple dimensions of mind with ease and
fluency comes from learning to access higher
states of consciousness regularly.

25. In addition, it is about building the bridges that
connect different levels of the brain in order to
bring greater ability to traverse its vast terrain.

26. #2 Capturing the
moment

27. It is a very worthwhile practice to keep a notepad or
recorder with you at all times, especially in the car,
the shower, by your bedside, in your gym pack, in
your purse or wallet, and be sure to record the little
insights that surface when they arise.!
!
If you wait until later when it is more “convenient” to
write it down, chances are you will have forgotten
part of the brilliance of that creative idea or insight
that came up.

28. Whenever and wherever an
insight surfaces, be sure to
capture the moment.

29. #3 Optimism and Trust

30. Having a positive attitude of optimism and
trust is essential to allowing the flow to
continue unimpeded.

31. Negativity such as pessimism,
worry, judgment, criticism, and
control will very quickly stifle
creativity and put a damper on any
motivation that was there (whether
in yourself or those you lead).

32. Re-patterning your habitual thoughts from negative
thinking to positive thinking is just as important as
rewiring your physical behaviors. Such positive
reinforcement will also help you keep yourself and those
you lead motivated.

33. Allowing creativity to flow is just one
aspect of developing yourself as a
Creative Leader. To learn more, check
out our FREE WEBINAR on the 7 keys
to cultivating the creative advantage.
As a bonus, receive our FREE EBOOK!