Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas come in the shower or when out for a walk rather than at your desk where you've been trying to solve the same problem for hours?
Well now science has a reason for it and it's published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308495745_Mind-wandering_as_spontaneous_thought_a_dynamic_framework
The research found that when you carry out activities where you are basically on autopilot and not thinking very much, your mind is able to wander and engage in a stream of consciousness which can help you to retrieve new ideas and access different memories.
In the research the authors reviewed nearly 200 neuroscience studies, many of which included the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan brains during resting activities.
The researchers looked at three different ways in which people think when they're not directly engaged in tasks: spontaneous thought, ruminative thought and goal-directed thought.
They found that when a brain is focused on a specific task, the load on the prefrontal cortex which is involved with planning and impulse control constrained the activity of other parts of the brain.
This includes shutting off networks that led to daydreaming and imagination.
However, when allowed to be on autopilot the resting mind was able to transition between spontaneous and constrained thought letting you think outside of the box and come up with unique solutions to a problem you may have been ruminating on.
So the next time you are trying to solve a difficult problem at work, leave the office, take the dog out for a walk, or take a relaxing shower and see if you can help to stimulate the other parts of your brain to help you to solve it!
Dr Michelle Dickinson joined the Sunday Session to discuss and explain this new piece of research.
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