Researchers think they have cracked the code as to why your best ideas come to you when you are in the shower. Whether it’s a comeback to an insult you received five years ago or an artistic project, they always seem to come when you’re having a scrub.
A group of scientists led by the University of Virginia and the University of Minnesota decided to have a look at this phenomenon.
A new study titled ‘The shower effect: Mind wandering facilitate creative incubation during moderately engaging activities’ gives away part of the answer in the title following its publishing.
The shower, albeit not being the most inspiring space to be in, might provide a space for the mind to come up with innovative life hacks and ideas.
When people are stuck on a problem, engaging in an activity which is moderately engaging like, say, going for a walk or gardening or – you guessed it – showering could get the mental gears turning.
When performing an undemanding task, our brains have a tendency to wander. This was backed up by earlier research from 2012, but this measured how distracted the participant were.
In the new study, participants were asked to come up with alternate uses for bricks or paperclips. Split into two groups, one watched a boring video of people folding laundry whilst the other group watched a moderately engaging video.
It was noted that during the engaging video, there was a positive correlation between the amount of mind wandering and the creative ideas that were generated. Moderate focus could be the secret to this creative generation in the shower.
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