Why Some Ideas Arrive Only When We’re Not Trying to Think
Introduction
Great concepts can arise spontaneously, rather than through intense contemplation, during periods of silence and/or unanticipated downtime (ie became available or surfaced). When we are taking care of our personal hygiene (whether showering), walking (or otherwise experiencing a state of reduced consciousness), our mental processes can generate concepts without our conscious awareness; often, the concept may include elements that we have never articulated or expressed prior to this time. This article discusses how great ideas can present themselves to individuals who have stopped pursuing the search for those concepts, and further illustrates how allowing for time away from thought generation may provide the greatest opportunity for creating high-quality ideas.
The Brain’s “Idle Mode”: How Mental Downtime Sparks Creativity
Many people believe that the best solutions and ideas come from deep thought and concentration, but the brain does not work that way. The brain actually goes into “idle mode” during times of calm and unfocused thought, when it connects thoughts that may not have otherwise arrived at the same time. The brain’s “default mode network” is activated during times like showering, folding laundry or gazing out a window. The default mode network is responsible for wandering thoughts and linking concepts together without the associated pressure of productivity or correctness. In the relaxed state created by operating within the default mode network, the brain can contemplate alternative avenues of thought and creativity; as such, many creative breakthroughs come from allowing the brain to operate in its natural state free from the obstruction posed by forceful and focused thought. Downtime does not equate to “being lazy”; it provides clarity.
The Science of the Subconscious: Ideas That Grow Beneath Awareness
Subconsciousness is how the mind operates without our knowledge. When you think you have finished thinking, you have not because you are using the subconscious to collect and organize information regarding prior experiences (conversations, visual experiences, along with others) and the creating of solutions via the brain’s subconscious is very much like a computer searching through a database until it finds what it needs to create a solution.
Therefore, it is understandable that one might think that the creative solution has come to mind somehow “out of thin air.” In fact, however; the business of the subconscious mind creating solutions constantly takes place and becomes less mysterious as it works to develop solutions for problems in partnership with what you know.
Pressure Can Block Insight: The Damaging Effects When We Try Too Hard
If you chase after ideas too aggressively, they will vanish before your eyes. Under stress and pressure, our brains contract (laser focus) to only one potential thought/solution. This causes them to filter out opportunity and only look at solving issues in a problem thinking (not imaginative) manner. It also causes us to have self-doubts. This then further constricts our thought processes and causes us to second guess our thoughts. So, with increased mental tension, we continually push away any potential idea(s) through insight. The more rigid our thinking becomes, the more restricted our ideas remain. We can think of this as an example of a knotted rope, if we continue to pull on the knot harder, it will remain tightened. When we take time to loosen the rope/string, only then will ideas come easily to us. The pressure paradox illustrates that we cannot force creativity. Creativity arises from a willingness and openness to allow creativity to occur. Often, the best way to free your mind to be able to open your mind is through stepping back, so your mind can advance independently.
The Power of Distraction: Why Ideas Show Up During Showers, Walks, and Chores
At times, we can stumble upon eureka moments while doing mundane tasks such as showering, strolling around inspecting the neighborhood, or cleaning our dishes. The above types of chores allow us to continue working with our hands yet provide us the room to think distractions have led to a huge decrease in the amount of mental activity we’ve put into our work and the amount of time we’ve spent focusing on our work. This naturally lets ideas come forth on their own. The concept of motion provides a venue for creative thought to lead us to greater creativity.
Many of us experience spur-of-the-moment ideas that may feel somewhat coincidental to us at the time, but the brain has been working on them for some time and just needs time to form itself before revealing them. The power of distraction is an important element for generating your creative ideas and bringing out your best work.
Conclusion
In the end, our mind state directs our ideas more than our timetables. With more freedom of grip on our thoughts, there is more room for the creative process to flop around. Creativity usually comes from the places in-between the quiet spaces we have forgotten to look for, not from the pushy times we usually apply too much effort too soon. Probably, instead of thinking more, we should be thinking less, and noticing what comes to us naturally during those periods of quietness while being aware of ourselves.
