In the hubbub of the typical workplace, it's amazing that anyone can do any creative thinking. Between interruptions, meetings, changes in priorities, and general everyday chaos, it's difficult to work through a line of thought separate from the immediate task at hand.
Doing any creative thinking at all may be especially difficult in open-plan offices; the very sight and sound of coworkers can be distracting if you're not interacting with them directly.
So, it's not surprising that when you ask people where they do their best thinking, showers top the list of responses. When you're in the shower, there's a better chance than at work that your brain will take a break from heavy-duty, task-oriented thinking. Your mind is likely to go on autopilot, wandering here and there with no particular destination or objective. In the process, ideas are likely to surface that would otherwise have remained buried. So you may get a stroke of genius—or figure out how to solve a problem that defied solution while you were at work.
Of course, showers aren't the only place where ideas can surface. What seems to be needed is an activity that's familiar enough that you don't have to think about it as you do it, enjoyable enough that you don't get bored doing it, and long-lasting enough to allow an uninterrupted stream of thought. Gardening may fit the bill, or preparing a meal, hiking, or any of several other activities.
What's interesting is that the activities need to be ones in which you can't easily take notes. Something about writing down an idea, whether with a pen and paper or digitally, seems to interfere with the creative thought process—though for some people, doodling is conducive to creative thinking.
If you want to think about what works for you in stimulating your own best thinking, consider both where and when. "Where" might include in your yard, or on the treadmill, or in your easy chair listening to music. "When" might be the first thing in the morning or last thing at night, or any time when you're alone. Note that staring at a digital device seems to work against doing one's best thinking, no matter where or when.
What's clear is that what interferes with our ability to do our best thinking is our highly structured lives, with productivity being priority #1 and multitasking perceived as the best way to address that priority. Chronic stress, bustling busyness, and nonstop go-go-go are not conducive to letting the ideas flow.
Conversely, going for a walk, doing some stretching or meditating, or even sitting by yourself in an unused meeting room (if you're lucky enough to have such a thing) can break the busyness spell and give your brain a chance for some free associating. Anything you can do to relax and take the pressure off for a few minutes is a step in the right direction.
Fortunately, if all else fails, there's always the shower.
