The Shower Provides Great Ideas

Why do my best ideas come to me in the shower? I feel like my IQ is at least twenty points higher while lathering up than at any other time of the day. And I’m not alone in finding my light bulb moments there. Cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman says that seventy-two percent of people get creative ideas in the shower.

That’s because thinking critically requires uninterrupted mental space. It’s not just showering that creates these times of clarity. Mowing the grass, taking a walk, driving to work, or pausing long enough to look, observe, and connect the dots brings the space…