Why Do I Get the Best Ideas When I’m Not Trying?

You’re strolling in the park when suddenly the solution to a tricky problem comes to you. When your guard is down, your unfettered brain is free to form insights.

When you’re not thinking about anything in particular, your brain is far from idle—a sprawling web of cells called the default mode network is shuttling impulses across the many different brain regions. No longer tethered to narrow thinking processes, you can ponder the past and the future, fully empathize with others, and build new connections and associations. Such light-bulb moments have been behind many of humankind’s greatest discoveries; for example, Albert Einstein unraveled his theory of relativity after getting lost in his thoughts while doing routine work as a clerk.

Anxiety and stress are the enemy of aimless thought. Feeling under threat restrains the brain’s “wandering” default mode network and instead nudges the brain toward its vigilant salience network. Writer’s block is a mental trap brought on by becoming anxious about a lack of creativity. This becomes a vicious circle that makes it even more difficult to think creatively, upping the anxiety further.

If you’re feeling blocked, take a break and relax so your brain switches back to its wandering network. Monotonous tasks, like doing dishes or driving, can calm the mind enough to bring on an epiphany, which is why cruising along the highway can ignite our best ideas.

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the daydreaming brain

When your mind drifts, your gray matter is sparking with activity and forming ideas. The prefrontal cortex lights up as you daydream, and the posterior cortex might be generating strong emotions.