Why Do We Get The Best Of Our Ideas In The Shower

It has happened with me, you and every single person who’s walked this earth. You are in the shower, rubbing soap on your toes, when– click– an idea pops into your head all of a sudden.

The idea could be related to anything you had been thinking about. Some tiff at work, your phase of relationship or how old exactly is your favourite actor. Seems as if those lightning struck ideas are locked inside a bottle of Irish scented soap, does it not? Well, maybe it is.

Scientific research shows that it’s more likely to have a creative insight when we are doing something monotonous, like showering, fishing or exercising. When you’re at work or rather your mind is at work, you are a pinch close minded. Thinking hard or focussing on a particular thing deactivates your default network of the brain and boosts that part of it which helps you concentrate only on a certain thing. On the contrary, you come up with strong and creative ideas when your adversely conscious part of mind is resting and the other is functioning.

History has it. All those Eureka moments, right from Archimedes to Newton to Einstein, are said to have clicked while not working on anything. Those empty minds made the great discoveries known to mankind. That makes me believe in the power of a wandering mind. Don’t you think? Taking a break from the regular routine is not enough to get inspired. Rather, creativity is harboured when you allow the mind to wander.

In the past ten years, I have asked a number of people about where and when do they get their best ideas. More than half of them tried capturing me in a discussion with big, out of the mind answers like, on a trip to Paris or that expression which says “I can’t really tell you that’, as if my world would get destroyed if he wasn’t doing all the thinking. Yet, the answer I received from more than fifty percent of them fascinated me the most- “in the shower” they said. (My fascination could also have something to do with my experience).

Here are a few reasons, they say, brings those ideas to your mind when you are in the shower. Take a look.

• Showering is a sign of a new beginning.
• You are alone and without interruption, which means you have all the time to think.
• The rhythm of water could have something to do with it.
• It wipes the stress and dirt off your body. Hence, makes you innovative. (I am a strong believer in that too!)
• You don’t have contradictory answers or judgements. You can be on both the sides of debate.
• A hot shower opens up your pores. Maybe, they alert you as well.
• Your shampooing, gives your brain a good massage (Another of my favourite reasons)
• No Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter or any technology related thing even close to the shower.
• Water flows and so does your thoughts. That keeps your thoughts flowing

And last but the best…

• Because your showering section of the washroom has always been like a little incubation chamber to you.

I can’t really figure out which of these reasons couldn’t be true.

Let us know if you have ever come across the best idea while showering.

I, in the meanwhile will set a reminder to always, keep a notepad in my washroom.