Does Stress Kill Creativity?

Creativity under stress

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Stress is uncomfortable. It can physically tense us and strain the mind. Psychologists have documented negative effects of stress, especially when it is chronic, on our well-being.

Thus, it might seem surprising that new research from Yale University shows that stress does not always mean less creativity. What is key for creativity is not simply how stressful our experiences are but also what psychological and job resources we bring to our work.

Psychologists have started studying the effects of stress on creativity by asking the basic question of whether mere presence of something stressful (what scientists call stressors) makes a difference for how well people can think creatively. In the laboratory, scientists created stressful situations by exposing people to physical (e.g., noise) or psychological stressors (e.g., telling them their performance would be evaluated). The research has showed that being exposed to psychological stressors, especially anticipating evaluation, can have negative consequences for creative thinking.

Other studies have taken the lessons of laboratory research into the real world, such as our experience and behavior at work. The studies zeroed in on the different kinds of stressors. They identified two groups: Challenge stressors are those with which we can cope by putting in effort and applying relevant skills (e.g., managing multiple projects at the same time), whereas hindrance stressors are those that come in the way of our work (e.g., bureaucratic red tape). Some studies showed that experiencing stress from challenges could boost creativity, but other studies did not find this to be the case. The question was why.

In my lab, we had a hypothesis that to understand the effects of stress on creativity, we should not study the experience of stress in isolation. Rather, we should also examine what resources people have that could protect them against stress. To test this idea, my research team went to a place of high stress—the hospital. We surveyed more than 5,000 workers in different roles, from front-line clinical staff to administrative and operational roles to the C-suite and asked them three groups of questions.

First, we asked how much stress they experienced from different kinds of demands at work. Some of these were considered challenge stressors (e.g., the amount of work that has to be completed in an allotted amount of time, level and range of one’s responsibilities) and some were considered hindrance stressors (e.g., the inability to clearly understand what is expected on the job). This enabled us to analyze how often people experience different kinds of stressors at the same time.

The second group of questions asked about two kinds of resources people might have: passion for one’s work and the ability to openly voice opinions and ideas. Passion is a personal resource we bring to work. It involves a desire to do the work, a sense of personal identity from one’s work, thinking of future work goals, and envisioning how to achieve them. Passion for what one does is the fuel for creativity, motivating action and persistence even when the going gets tough.

On the other hand, having the ability to voice one’s opinions, including those that are critical or cautionary, is a resource that depends on the nature of one’s work environment. Chances are we all know of workplaces in which voicing opinions and ideas is encouraged and celebrated and those in which it is not safe to do so.

Finally, the third group of questions was about creativity. We asked about people’s creative confidence and about what they actually do in their jobs —suggesting new ways to achieve goals or objectives, coming up with creative solutions to work problems, developing plans and timelines for implementing new ideas.

The results showed that, for most people, stress they experienced from different kinds of challenge and hindrance events tended to clump together. In other words, indeed, when works feels too much, there are many reasons for that sentiment.

People who showed the most creativity in their jobs experienced high stress (from work challenges, but also facing hindrances), but also had resources that support creativity. These people have heavy workloads, face time pressures, and have to navigate red tape and bureaucratic obstacles to getting their work accomplished. However, they also deeply care about their work and are able to have their voices heard.

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Most people experience average levels of stress and have some, but perhaps not great, resources. They like their jobs and are committed but might not be highly passionate about their work. They can voice their opinions, but perhaps not in all circumstances or with everyone. Importantly, even having average resources acted as a buffer from negative effects of stress on creativity.

This research has important implications. Experiencing stress does not necessarily mean that we will be less creative. Necessity is the mother of invention and stress creates necessity. Under stress, we have to find new and original ways to respond, creating opportunities for creativity. We can build resources that help keep the drive for creativity alive, from developing passions to looking for environments that provide psychological safety, which enables us to share opinions and potentially risky or daring ideas without fear of retaliation.

Of note, this research does not speak to long-term effects of work stress, either for well-being or for creativity. Such long-term stress can interfere with our ability to recover, diminish our personal resources, and have a host of negatively spiraling outcomes.