Creativity: The Missing Piece in Wellbeing Strategies

In my work, I explore many ways that workplaces can support those who are experiencing mental ill health and build dynamic teams with wellbeing at the centre. One powerful, often underutilised tool that can help is creativity.

A growing number of organisations are discovering that creative expression can be a game-changer for mental wellbeing and performance. We all want to work in organisations that motivate, inspire and bring a sense of being part of something bigger.

According to Mental Health UK (2024) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

• 1 in 6 workers in the UK experience challenges such as stress, anxiety or depression in any given week.

• 17.1 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2023/24.

• Mental ill health is now the leading cause of long-term absence in the UK.

  
  

Poor mental wellbeing doesn’t just hurt individuals. It leads to:

• Reduced productivity and performance

• Increased absenteeism and presenteeism

• Higher staff turnover

• Lower morale and engagement

  
  

The impact on individuals and organisations is huge and it doesn’t have to be this way. Work can be a powerful agent to support our wellbeing rather than damage it. Clearly, employers need proactive, human-centred solutions. This is where creativity comes in.

How Creativity Supports Mental Wellbeing

Creativity has measurable benefits for mental health:

• Improves mood and reduces anxiety: Activities like drawing, journaling, or flexible thinking exercises lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and release tension.

• Builds resilience: Expressing thoughts through creative outlets helps people process emotions and develop coping strategies.

• Strengthens connection: Creative collaboration fosters trust, empathy and teamwork. When employees are encouraged to bring new ideas to the table, they feel more valued and connected to their work.

• Reignites motivation: A creative mindset brings purpose, innovation and energy back into everyday tasks. When employees feel psychologically safe and inspired, they work more efficiently and collaboratively

  
  

According to a 2024 survey by the CIPD, UK organisations that actively promote creativity and psychological safety report 22% higher employee engagement and 17% better retention.

Creativity isn't just “nice to have”—it’s a mental fitness tool.

Practical Ideas to Bring Creativity into Workplaces

So now you know creativity is good for wellbeing and productivity, how do you bring it into the workplace? Here are specific, actionable ways you can integrate creativity into daily routines and wellbeing strategies:

• Flexibility in Workspaces - Encourage flexible layouts—hot desks, quiet zones, and collaborative areas. Natural light and greenery (biophilic design) are also proven to stimulate creative thinking. Employers like Innocent Drinks and Monzo have embraced these principles in their office designs.

• Cross-Department Collaboration - Break silos. Bringing together people from different departments—HR with IT, or marketing with finance—can spark unexpected ideas and strengthen team bonds.

• Creative Leadership - Leaders should model and encourage creative risk-taking. This includes welcoming new ideas, showing vulnerability, and being open to "failing forward." As a bonus, this boosts psychological safety—a core component of any wellbeing strategy.

• Hack Days & Innovation Hours - Set aside time regularly for staff to work on passion projects or tackle business challenges in new ways. Google popularised this model. It improves - Engagement, Problem-solving and Confidence

• Wellbeing-First Policies - Allow time for “creative breaks”: these could be mindfulness walks in a nearby park, lunchtime painting clubs, or even 10-minute doodle sessions. Many companies are also introducing "Wellbeing Wednesdays" with optional creative workshops.

• Creative Thinking Corners - Set up areas in the office with whiteboards, art supplies, Lego, or magnetic poetry kits. These encourage spontaneous creativity and relaxation during breaks. Use these spaces to run “5-minute creative sprints” – quick, fun challenges unrelated to work.

• “Design Your Day” Workshops - Let employees redesign their workday for flow and wellbeing, using visual thinking tools. Encourage them to map their energy highs and lows and brainstorm creative solutions (like nature breaks, or using music for focus).

• Creative Storytelling Sessions - Host monthly storytelling events where employees can share personal journeys, passions, or challenges through short talks. These sessions build empathy, connection and reduce stigma around mental ill health, and increase team cohesion.

• Micro-Creativity Challenges - Send out weekly prompts like:

  • “Sketch your mood in 3 lines.”

  • “Design your ideal workspace using only 3 objects.”

  • “Write a 6-word story about your day.”

  These can be shared anonymously or displayed in a common area. They're quick, inclusive, and help people pause, reflect and de-stress.

Making Creativity Inclusive and Accessible

To ensure success:

• Don’t make it mandatory – Voluntary participation reduces pressure.

• Provide a safe space – Avoid critique or comparison.

• Involve all levels of staff – When leadership joins in, it breaks stigma and boosts psychological safety.

• Celebrate process, not perfection – Focus on expression, not artistic skill.

Final Thoughts: A New Culture of Wellbeing

Creativity isn’t a side activity—it’s central to a culture of wellbeing and high performance. This means cultivating environments where people feel safe, seen, and inspired, fuelling innovation, supporting mental wellbeing and making work more human.

As burnout and mental health concerns rise, creativity offers a low-cost, high-impact way to help people reconnect—with their work, with each other, and with themselves.

After all, a workplace that encourages curiosity, imagination, and play isn’t just more productive—it’s a better place to be.