Activating your creative consciousness

When we hit the bed every night, we think we’re surrendering to exhaustion. It’s not unnatural to think that we’re relinquishing mindfulness, our ability to focus or to take notice of sensory cues. We’re preparing ourselves- to spring back to the chaotic routine of life the moment the alarm goes off a few hours later.

On the contrary, many studies are showing that this feeling couldn’t be further from the truth.

Sleep is nature’s panacea, a powerful drug for triggering the power of creation, that we often tend to dismiss owing to the current ‘hustle culture’- an environment where fewer hours of sleep is worn as a badge of honor, while rest is considered willfully slothful.

In the midst of today’s hyperproductive, perpetually harried, and sleep-deprived world, our need for a good night’s sleep is more important–and elusive–than ever.

Our first moments after waking up are among the most imaginative.

To one’s surprise, sleep has been used as a weapon for increasing creativity by scientists, writers and artists across the world.

Mendeleev, the renowned Russian chemist, lay down to sleep after facing innumerable days of not being able to structure the periodic table. It was during his deep slumber, that his brain was able to establish neural connections that lead to the clear organization of elements that he earlier couldn’t see with an exhausted brain. In Mendeleev’s own words: “I saw in my dream a table where all the elements fell into place, as required. When I woke up, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.”

Making sense of information and forming untraceable links seems to be the easiest when we’re offline, drifting through our dreamscape.

When you’re not trying too hard, the creative elixir flows from within.

What we need is nothing short of a sleep revolution. We need to renew our relationship with our subconscious mind, to truly take back control of our lives.

It’s well known that getting more sleep leads to fewer sick days and increased focus, energy, and innovation — and, as a result, a more satisfying work-life.

Let’s redefine our working hours. Let’s put down our phones before hitting the sack. Let’s subscribe to rest- and let our minds travel across time, spanning different parts of ourselves, allowing our wisdom to flourish and return to the world anew- with a fresh perspective and a myriad of creativity.