Ideas rarely show up while you're sitting there staring at the problem. They're more likely to come on a walk, in the shower or while you're doing the dishes. That's no coincidence, and it isn't magic either: research shows there's a pattern you can put to use.
In experiments, a walk led to more ideas for four out of five participants, and the effect lingered for a while afterward. A review of studies on setting a problem aside found that it helps, especially when you've first worked on it properly and then do something simple. And in another experiment, it was a simple task, one that let the mind wander, that led to the best ideas afterward.
Pick your path based on where you are:
- If you're stuck: take the problem for a walk.
- If you haven't gotten started: work on the problem first, then take a break.
- If your ideas slip away: write them down right away.
- If you're always listening to something: go for one walk in silence.
A first step today: take something you're stuck on out for a ten-minute walk, and write down whatever comes up.
Ideas rarely show up while you're sitting there staring at the problem. They're more likely to come on a walk, in the shower or while you're doing the dishes. Research shows there's a pattern behind this: first work on the problem properly, then set it aside and do something simple that lets your mind wander. A walk is the easiest way to do that. This article covers what the studies show, what they don't show, and four paths depending on where you are.
A walk brings more ideas
In 2014, Oppezzo and Schwartz had adults solve creative tasks, first sitting down and then walking on a treadmill. The main task was to come up with as many uses as possible for an ordinary object, such as a brick. When participants walked, four out of five came up with more ideas than when they sat.
The effect lingered for a while. Participants who sat down after walking still came up with more ideas than those who had been sitting the whole time. Walking outdoors produced the most original ideas, but it was the walking, not just being outside, that made the difference: participants who were pushed around outdoors in a wheelchair didn't get the same boost.
There was a clear limit. On tasks with a single right answer, walking helped much less, with only about one in four doing better. A walk opens the door to lots of ideas, but it won't solve a math problem.
Set the problem aside, but only after you've worked on it
Setting a problem aside for a while and then coming back to it is called incubation. In 2009, Sio and Ormerod reviewed the research on it. It worked, especially on tasks that involve coming up with many ideas. But two things mattered.
The first was how long people had worked before the break. The longer the preparation, the more the break helped. If you set something aside after two minutes, there's nothing there to mature. The second was what people did during the break. Demanding tasks during the break had less effect. For one type of task, word puzzles, a simple task even helped more than just resting.
Baird and colleagues tested this in 2012. Participants were given a creative task, followed by a break with either a demanding task, a simple task, rest, or no break at all. Those who had done the simple task got noticeably better when they returned to the same problem. They hadn't thought more about the problem during the break. Their minds had wandered more, and that was what was linked to the improvement.
- Work on the problem Give it plenty of time first.
- Set it aside Stop actively trying to solve it.
- Do something simple Walk, wash dishes or fold laundry, and let your mind wander.
- Catch the idea Write it down in one sentence as soon as it comes.
What the studies don't show
All three are based on lab tasks, like finding uses for a brick, not on novels, songs or paintings. It's reasonable to think the pattern holds there too, but it hasn't been tested. And none of the studies say ideas come on their own. In all three, the ideas came after work, not instead of it. The fact that it takes a while to get to the better ideas, and that we often give up too soon, is covered in the guide to creative discipline.
Four paths, depending on where you are
If you're stuck. For you if you've been staring at the same problem for too long. Get up and walk, ideally outside, and take the problem with you in your head without forcing an answer. Write down whatever comes as soon as you're back, while the effect lingers. First step: take the problem for a ten-minute walk today.
If you haven't gotten started. For you if you're hoping the idea will show up before you've begun. The break works best after you've worked properly. First sit down with the problem for a set amount of time, write down everything you think of, and then set it aside. First step: give the problem twenty minutes tonight before you do anything else.
If your ideas slip away. For you if you get ideas in the shower but have forgotten them by breakfast. An idea that isn't written down often disappears. Keep something to write on nearby, and write the idea down in one sentence as soon as it comes. First step: decide today where your ideas will go: a sticky note, a note on your phone or a notepad.
If you're always listening to something. For you if you have a podcast or music in your ears every time you walk or do the dishes. This is the most demanding path, because the silence can feel empty at first. A wandering mind was what was linked to better ideas. First step: go for a walk in silence this week and see what comes up.
A first step today: take something you're stuck on out for a ten-minute walk, and write down whatever comes up.
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