When I’m writing an article and in a happy place, my creativity flows relatively smoothly. An article may not fall onto the page fully formed, but even if it comes together in pieces, ideas come to me rather easily.

However, when I’m upset, anxious or angry, trying to write an article is like dragging an anchor over rocky ground. It gets caught on each small stone, and I have to work it free. It’s a struggle and anything but enjoyable.

Now a study has actually validated that being in a positive mood allows the brain to think better and more creatively.

“Generally, positive mood has been found to enhance creative problem solving and flexible yet careful thinking,” says Ruby Nadler, co-author of a study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. She and colleagues Rahel Rabi and John Paul Minda at The University of Western Ontario carried out this study.

They found that a positive mood allowed subjects to better able think innovatively, creatively and strategically. They suggest music, or even watching funny videos online to increase this type of productivity.

Employers may object to what they consider wasting time, but it actually may improve employee’s efficiency and morale. So employers may want to consider your lifting your mood a positive use of time.

Information in this article is based on an article at Science Daily, Positive Mood Allows Human Brain to Think More Creatively.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart