Meditation has countless benefits, and one that’s often overlooked is increased creativity. By training your mind to focus and let go of unhelpful thoughts, your creative problem solving and ability to generate new ideas skyrockets.

Increased creativity through meditation can make you more effective and solutions-oriented at work. If you don’t meditate already, it’s okay—kicking off your practice is easier than you may think. There are many different types of meditation, so you can choose the one that works best for you or change up your routine.

Here are some of the specific ways meditation increases creativity:

  • Increases observation and awareness. A key component of meditation is training the mind to be in the moment. This means concentrating on what’s happening around you and being rooted in your senses. Meditation practitioners have the ability to see their thoughts and internal stimulus—like increased heart rate or shaking hands—as an observer, giving them more control over their reactions and moods. By increasing your observation skills and rooting your awareness in the moment, you can gather data and generate new ideas in a more efficient, clear manner.
  • Gives you better focus. When approaching a task, its best to give it your full attention, but our hyper-connected world has made multi-tasking the name of the game, cutting down our attention spans. Meditation helps reverse this trend by giving you the tools to quiet your mind and focus on the task at hand, so you can see creative paths forward. When people begin to meditate, they often have trouble sitting still and concentrating for just 10 minutes, but as they practice, their focus grows.
  • Makes you open to new ideas. Meditation helps you quiet your mind, reduce negative internal chatter, and live in the moment. All of these skills help you see things from a new perspective and be more open to new ideas, connecting dots you never considered before.
  • Increases resilience. Whenever you do something creative—from painting to presenting a new idea at work—you will face skepticism. Sometimes your idea doesn’t meet the bar or you have to pass through difficult hoops to get it off the ground. Creativity is bolstered by resilience, the ability to bounce back after a setback, and through meditation, you can train your mind to see the positive and not abandon your creative pursuits and ideas in the face of adversity.

Has meditation improved your creativity? Let us know in the comments below.