How Relaxed Focus Fuels Creative Thinking

What do Albert Einstein, Paul McCartney, and Virgina Woolf have in common – besides being highly influential figures in their respective fields?    All three revealed that some of their most creative ideas came to them whilst they were walking or sleeping.   Ok, so what’s the brain up to this time? Why should disengaging help #creativity?   In 2014, a group of researchers at Stanford measured the positive effects of mild physical activity on creativity – and found that walking boosted creativity by between 50-80%.   👉 When students took a brisk walk around the college campus or walked at a relaxed pace on an indoor treadmill facing a blank wall – their performance on a test of creativity called the “Alternate Uses Task” improved by a whopping 81%! The AUT tests “divergent thinking,” which is the ability to explore many possible solutions, including blue sky or out of the box thinking.   👉 Walking outdoors produced the most novel and highest quality analogies, indicating that walking had a very specific benefit in improving creativity. 👉 Furthermore, walking made people more talkative, resulting in roughly 50% more total ideas being produced compared to when sitting.    In other words, just going for a short walk led to a massive increase in creativity. Or, in the words of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”   Sleeping on it seems to have a similar creativity-enhancing effect as physical exercise. How many times have you come back to tackle a seemingly insurmountable problem after a sleep – or even a nap – and the pieces seemed to fall right into place?   Studies have found that during the phase of sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the brain is able to make new and novel connections between unrelated ideas, which is a key aspect of creativity. This state of sleep allows for the free association of ideas, which can lead to creative problem-solving and the generation of innovative ideas upon waking. REM sleep is thought to contribute to "incubating" creative ideas, as the brain reorganizes and consolidates memories, potentially leading to creative insights.   Both physical exercise and sleep are mood-enhancers, which may contribute to enhancing creativity.   Research suggests that positive moods can enhance creative thinking, making it easier for individuals to think flexibly and come up with innovative solutions. Positive emotional states often increase cognitive flexibility, broaden attention, and allow for more associations between ideas, which are key elements of creativity.   Turns out, there are practical ways to spark more ‘Aha!’ moments in our lives. The next time you’re struggling to think of a solution to a problem, try taking a walk or sleeping on it – the evidence-backed cheat-codes for unlocking creativity!   #WalkingAndCreativity #SleepAndCreativity

Boredom might be the most underrated productivity hack. I used to panic the second I wasn’t “doing” something. I’ll scroll through my calendar or inbox to check if I’ve missed something. But lately, I’ve been wondering: What if boredom isn’t a flaw to fix, but your edge? When I think back, my best ideas didn’t come while I was staring at a screen or crossing items off a to-do list. They came in stillness. On long walks. Staring out a window. Sitting with my thoughts and doing… absolutely nothing. Because boredom creates space. And in that space, imagination takes over. But that’s also where something else begins to happen, something deeper. I think boredom is the gateway to flow. Flow isn’t about forcing productivity. It’s about finding the zone where focus, clarity, and creativity align. And paradoxically, one of the best ways to get into flow… is to first do nothing. When your brain isn’t bombarded with noise, it starts making connections. It begins solving problems in the background. That’s why flow often follows boredom. Doing nothing isn’t laziness. It’s a reset. A chance for your mind to reorient, to notice patterns, to make sense of the unsolved. So now, I try to treat boredom like a meeting with my imagination. I schedule it in. No phones. No meetings. No distractions. Just stillness. It may feel uncomfortable at first. But give it time and you might just unlock your deepest thinking. Your most original ideas. Your entry point into flow. Because your next breakthrough may not come from pushing harder. It might be waiting for you… in boredom.

I don’t get my best ideas in forced ideation meetings. I get them during my 45-minute disconnect sessions. Most people think innovation comes from working non-stop. But real breakthroughs don't come from grinding harder - they come when you step away from: - Work - Screens - Constant hustle Research from UC Berkeley shows a striking finding: taking regular breaks from technology boosts creativity by 60%. Bill Gates does this through an annual think week - where he lives in an off-grid cabin in the woods just to disconnect and think. But that’s not an option for you and me, so here are my easier alternatives that consistently lead to breakthrough ideas: 1. Tech-free nature walks ↳ Nature walks without my phone force me to notice things I'd usually miss. The fresh air clears mental clutter, and new environments spark unexpected connections. ↳ Moving outdoors boosts my energy, making me feel more refreshed and open to new ideas. 2. Doodling and mind mapping ↳ It allows me to visually explore ideas and connect dots I'd normally overlook. ↳ The freeform process helps me think without constraints while giving my brain a productive break. 3. Zero-pressure brainstorming ↳ I ask “What if?” questions when there’s no need to do so, and welcome every idea without any judgment. ↳ It leads to bold, unexpected solutions because no idea is off-limits. ↳ By exploring all possibilities, I find more innovative answers. Following this routine fuels the kind of creativity that sets you apart. This intentional disconnection creates space for breakthrough ideas that others miss while stuck in their daily grind. What's your favorite way to disconnect? Has it ever led to an unexpected breakthrough? #breaksessions #productivityhack #personalgrowth

How Not Thinking Enhances Your Creativity Here's a scenario: You’re at work, it’s after lunch, and you realize you’re sitting at your desk, staring into space, and not thinking about anything in particular. Your brain is, relatively speaking, at rest. Your mind is wandering. What you are doing is engaging your "default network". The default network engages when you’re not doing anything in particular. Randy Buckner, a neuroscientist at Harvard, first wrote about the default network in a 2008 journal article. The default network was discovered accidentally. Researchers were studying the brain activity of people who were given certain tasks to do. Some participants in the study were told just to sit and think about nothing in particular as part of a control condition in the experiments. Initially this data was not even analyzed, but some researchers began to notice that there was quite a lot of brain activity in certain areas when people were supposedly not thinking about anything in particular. Even though the default network was initially considered brain activity during a resting state, the brain is actually just as active—or more active—in this state than when it’s working on a specific task. Researchers now think of this not as a resting state, but as more of an internally focused state. The default network is active when people are exploring mental simulations. When people run through simulations based on their past experiences, when they think about the future, when they imagine alternative scenarios, and when they think about the perspectives of others in their situation—it’s this default network that is active. The default network is critical for the creative process. It runs through alternatives for the idea or problem you’re trying to solve, goes through your memory to look for things that you’ve experienced in the past that might be relevant, and imagines possible alternatives ideas and solutions. It’s important to set the idea or problem consciously (in the executive attention network, but I'll tackle that in a different post), but in order to come up with creative ideas or solve problems you need the default network to look for ideas and connections, and run through possible alternatives. If you keep concentrating on the problem or idea, the default network never engages. You have to step away if you want to be creative. Go do something else. Take a break, especially one that doesn’t involve concentrated thinking. Go for a walk, weed the garden, take a shower, or clean up the house, and then your default network can activate.

If you can’t step away from your business, your business is running you. Too many entrepreneurs wear overworking as a badge of honor - skipping meals, sacrificing sleep, burning out silently. But research shows this hustle culture is killing more than creativity. 👉 A study by QuickBooks found that 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟯 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆. 👉 Mental Health America reports that 𝟳𝟮% 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀, often due to stress and isolation. And yet… we keep pushing, thinking that taking a break means falling behind. When you step away, even for a few hours, your brain shifts from 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲 (constantly responding to emails, messages, tasks) to 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲, which is where deep thinking happens. This idea is supported by neuroscience. Studies on the Default Mode Network (DMN) show that when you're not actively focused on a task, your brain begins to connect dots, reflect, and form insights. That’s why you often get your best ideas in the shower, while walking, or even during a nap. In the book “𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵” 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘚𝘰𝘰𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨-𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘨, he explains how some of history’s most productive and creative minds like Darwin, Charles Dickens, and Beethoven worked in short, focused bursts and spent the rest of the day walking, relaxing, or engaging in hobbies. Their breakthroughs didn’t happen at their desks, they happened during the break. Even Bill Gates famously takes “Think Weeks,” where he isolates himself to read, reflect, and generate new ideas for the future of Microsoft. So, stepping away isn’t slacking. It’s 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰. You're not wasting time - you're creating the mental space needed for innovation and long-term growth. Want to break the burnout cycle? I have shared 3 small habits that you can incorporate in your daily routine, in the comments below! You are your biggest asset. Protect your energy like you protect your business. Because when you rest better, you 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 better. #burnout #entrepreneurs #businessstrategies #businessgrowth

Rest, Boredom and Creativity. I used to believe that rest is time away from work. My mother used to tell me to take a break and find balance, but I didn’t understand it up until recently, that we need to step away to come back rejuvenated. A well-rested brain is a creative brain. In our hyper-connected world, it's easy to overlook the importance of rest. Without rest, diminished inspiration, and unidimensional perspective stare me in the face. In his TED talk on the impact of creative sabbaticals, graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister talks about how obsession with art can begin to destroy the art itself. It can translate into stagnation or even burnout. Contrary to general perception, artists need to waste time to get work done. We need idleness and we need creative rest. If we think back about our childhood – boredom opened tiny windows of wonder. It made your mind travel to strange places and conjure stories. Boredom is curiosity’s predecessor and rest’s cousin. Our brain is on 24/7. Our brain cells are doing the constant work of communication. Neuroscientists say it’s critical for brain health to allow yourself to be bored from time to time. Filmmaker and actor Greta Gerwig says, “You need to reach a level of boredom to make anything. But I worry that we’ve lost that capacity, which I think maybe erodes creativity.” We also seem to have lost the ability to rest. Relaxing now means a numbing retreat to our phone screens. Sleep specialist Rubin Naiman has come up with an apt word for our exhaustion – ‘T’wired’ – too tired and too wired. Real rest, he says is intentionally cultivating a state of calm. It’s about stepping on the brakes and coming to a full stop. For me, rest goes beyond simply getting a good night's sleep (although that is undeniably crucial). It's about finding balance and incorporating intentional pauses into our daily lives. It could be taking a mindful walk, spending time with loved ones or engaging in a hobby that brings us joy. Two studies published in Scientific Reports recently conclude that birdsong lets us engage in ‘soft fascination’ which captures our attention but also allows us to replenish. Listening to birds is good for our mental well-being. By consciously carving out time for rest, we can replenish our artistic reservoirs. In the quiet interludes, we can listen to the whispers of our inner voices. It allows introspection, and this self-awareness is important for us to iterate and better ourselves in our work. Also, rest is not solely an individual pursuit—it should be championed within our workplaces and communities, for optimized productivity. Let’s strike that balance between focused effort and purposeful rest. Share your favorite ways to unwind and recharge. #RestAndCreativity #BalanceMatters #EmbracingWellBeing #ProductivityRevolution

Why Do Our Best Ideas Come in the Shower? 🚿💡   Ever wondered why so many 'aha' moments strike us while we're shampooing our hair? It's not magic; there's some solid science and psychology behind why this happens. In today's fast-paced world, we're perpetually engaged - in meetings, email, or ticking tasks off our to-do lists (don't even get me started on how much time we spend on social media in between each of those activities). This means that our brains, like high-performance machines, are always "on," diligently processing, solving, and multitasking. But the secret sauce of creativity is downtime. When we're in the shower, away from screens and external pressures, our minds activate the "default mode network" or DMN. The DMN is a network of brain regions that become active when an individual is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest. It's essentially the brain's "autopilot" mode. The DMN is fertile breeding ground for creativity because it promotes the connection of distant ideas, fosters personal reflection, and allows for subconscious problem-solving. Crazy stuff, right? Here’s how you can take advantage: Innovators intentionally engage their DMN by setting aside time for unfocused thought. They adopt practices like meditation, long walks, or other activities that allow their minds to wander, and hopefully lead to breakthroughs or big ideas. They recognize that to think differently, you sometimes need to step back and let your brain breathe. So, the next time you're seeking a breakthrough or a fresh perspective, remember that the answer might not be more grind, but more space. Your next innovative idea might be awaiting you in the most unexpected of places! P.S. (I got the idea for this post in the shower 😂) #Creativity #BrainScience #Mindfulness #ShowerThoughts #Innovation

Stop working. Seriously — just stop. Doing nothing might sound counterproductive, but staying laser-focused all the time actually backfires. It crushes creativity and keeps you stuck inside a box of overthinking. The truth is that often, your best ideas come when you’re not forcing them. Here’s how it works: 1. Stop Fixating ↳ Too much focus actually blocks creativity. 2. Tap Into the “Default Mode”
↳ When you’re not actively working, your brain’s “default mode network” kicks in. (This is the magic zone where ideas connect, solutions form, and those “aha!” moments happen) 3. Walk It Out
↳ Science backs this up: a Stanford study found walking outdoors boosts creativity (Opezzo, 2014). Just pick a path — around the block, through a park, whatever works — and make it your thinking space. No fancy apps. No productivity hacks. Just you and the open air. P.S. Have you ever had a great idea come to you while you were doing something totally unrelated? #creativity #innovation #peakperformance