26 Ways to Expand Your Mind & Reignite Your Creativity

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Creativity is not about pitting your mind against that of others. It’s about extending the boundaries of your conditioned mind and keep pushing them even when you thought you’ve reached the limits of your mind. In essence, you’re pitting against no one but yourself.

Here are some ways to expand your mind by challenging habitual routines that dull the mind. Remember, no matter which way you choose, don’t forget to have fun! For creativity is usually born out of play time when we least expected.

1. Thrive in an alien city. Planting yourself in foreign cultures and soaking up new experiences for a period of time is a surefire way to wake up a sleeping brain.

2. Read foreign blogs. If living in a different country sounds too daunting, try reading blogs written by people from cultures other than your own. Here are some you may want to check out: Mr Brown (a light-hearted poke at living in Singapore), Danny Choo (an ultra-crazy manga fan’s look at Japan), Kenny Sia (a humorous perspective on Malaysia) and English Russian (anything Russian).

3. Venture into unfamiliar genres. Never step into the science or biography section of the library or bookstore? Break down that invisible barrier and open your mind. You might just kick yourself for missing the good stuff for all these years.

4. Hop on the social media bandwagon. There’s only so much one brain can churn out at any given time. What if there are tens, hundreds or even thousands of brains for you to tap on? Free social media tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook allow you to put your friendly contacts to good use, giving your creativity an instant multi-fold boost. If you haven’t already register, do yourself a favor and sign up now. (Since you are at it, don’t forget to add The Conscious Life in Twitter and get free daily tips! )

5. Meditate for insights. Sometimes, the more we force ourselves to come up with fresh ideas, the harder it becomes. Why not take fifteen minutes to relax and do a simple meditation? Reflective meditation is one you can use to help bypass your thinking, conditioned mind and open yourself to possibilities you never know existed.

6. Meet someone new, online or off. Each of us has a unique set of experiences and knowledge accumulated over many years. Wouldn’t it be a waste if we don’t tap on each other’s expertise and insights to expand our reservoir of ideas? Each week, befriend someone new sincerely and share your views, comments and beliefs with him or her unobtrusively. And hope that the person will do the same for you.

7. Lend a helping hand to those in need. Volunteering gives you a chance to meet people whom you would never come across in your life. They are usually in less fortunate circumstances, but yet they showed more strength and tenacity than many of us. Meet them, help them and be inspired.

8. Horse around with kids. Children are constantly curious and never stop asking questions. We can perhaps recapture some of that lost essence by spending time playing with them.

9. Be your own boss. Setting up your own company and thinking like a boss will open your eyes to things which you have been taking for granted. You don’t have to quit your job, at least not right away. Do it on the side — think of a company name, write your mission statement, look out for business opportunities, come up with product ideas, and plan your marketing strategies. Being a boss will shift your mind into top gear and unleash a torrent of ideas.

10. Share a working space with someone. If you work alone at home, you may miss the creativity sparks that often fly off from passionate real life discussions with other people. Solve this by renting a coworking space from companies like New Work City and Launchpad Coworking which will provide you with a small working space for a small fee and connect you with other like-minded entrepreneurs.

11. Impersonate without shame. If Albert Einstein was in your shoes, what would he say or do? Substitute the brilliant scientist with any figure that you admire and transform your perspective, and possibly aura, instantaneously.

12. Expand your horizons with visualization. If the great inventor Nikola Tesla can conduct his entire experiments complete with full-blown trials in his mind, that speaks for how much unused brain resources are left idling in most of us. Start exploiting your mind’s potential by engaging yourself in no-holds-barred visualization exercises. Ponder on this: What will I do differently if nothing is impossible?

13. Take things apart and put them back again. Wonder how a clock works and what computer innards look like? Why not find out yourself? Start with simple things like a malfunctioned alarm clock or a discarded toaster before progressing to more complex projects like your phone or computer (grasp!). Remember to take photos of the item before tearing it apart.

14. Learn to make music. If you never know how to read a score, learning it can help you to discover a whole new language that is so familiar yet so strange. Playing an instrument is also an excellent way to express yourself creatively. Don’t limit yourself to common musical instruments. Traditional or ancient ones like guqin are equally effective, and they make great conversation pieces too.

15. Open your ears. Like books, there are many different types of music out there. Don’t stick to the same melancholy tunes in your phone or MP3 player. Open your ears to different air waves available at free sites like Grooveshark and Live365 Internet Radio.

16. Croon karaoke. Singing is an excellent way to express pent-up feelings and shed away inhibitions, which are clear creativity killer. That is assuming you are totally having fun doing it. If you are self-conscious, drag along a group of supportive friends who preferably sing worse than you to divert unsolicited attention.

17. Boogie all night long. Social dancing not only gives you a good body workout, it can also be a great way to train the mind. Because you don’t just have to remember the steps, you also got to avoid stepping on your partner’s feet — a two-in-one exercise for the brain.

18. Siesta for fresh mind. One of my favorite ways to generate ideas, taking forty winks put your deeper consciousness to work and lets you access hidden resources within you. Try it and be amazed by the answers that miraculously appear when you awake.

19. Shock your taste buds. Tastes can trigger dormant memories, thoughts, feelings and ideas. Rather than eating the same foods everyday, be adventurous. Try out different food combination, unusual recipes, or visit restaurants you’ve never tried before.

20. Wii for wild ideas. Computer and video games engage many of our senses, and they often require us to think and react on our feet. Be it online brain games or a round of virtual tennis on a Wii console, there’s a game for everyone young and old.

21. Take a different route to work. Bored with the day in day out routine you’ve kept for the last five years? Repetitive actions and scenes dull the brain and cap your creativity. Give your mind a sensory stimulation by taking an unfamiliar route to the office, gym, or wherever. Who knows, you might even bump into your muse.

22. Hit a different gym. Doing the same set of exercises at the same bench in the same gym? Yawn. Get new inspiration and meet new people by hitting the new gym that opened last month.

23. Pick up a new sport. Our reflexes slow down if we don’t use them and gradually, our mind too. Pick up a new sport that looks vaguely interesting to you and throw yourself into the whole learning experience. Don’t take yourself too seriously, make plenty of silly mistakes and have lots of fun and laughter!

24. Re-purpose your junk. Stuck with a load of used gadgets or unwanted clothes, bags and CDs? Save the environment and treat your brain to a much needed challenge by giving them a new lease of life. You might just start a new company right in your room.

25. Dust off those old board games. Board games which we once played with for countless hours are still great fun. Re-awaken the child in you and have wholesome fun again playing the way you used to be.

26. Be born again. Imagine that you are reborn into this world where everything is completely alien to you. How would you react to the people, places and events that happened around you, and what would you say to them?