When Creativity Stalls: Maintaining Innovation Under Pressure, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

Abstract: This article examines the relationship between stress and creativity in the workplace and provides practical recommendations for how leaders can support innovative thinking among stressed employees. Considerable research has shown that moderate stress can enhance cognitive functioning while excessive, prolonged stress hinders creative processes like “associative thinking” by redirecting resources toward more routine thinking. Specific strategies are recommended to help teams manage stress without compromising innovation, drawn from evidence-based practices employed by leading companies in high-pressure industries. These include scheduling regular breaks, remodeling physical spaces, incorporating mindfulness activities, hosting team-building events, and promoting a strengths-based approach to development. When leaders implement stress-relieving techniques grounded in positive psychology, mindfulness, movement, social support and growth mindsets, they can maintain organizational creativity even amid workplace pressures.