At Schultz Financial Group (SFG), we view wealth differently through our Four Capital approach. Our team works with you to build your wealth across Four Capitals – Financial Matters, Physical Well-being, Intellectual Engagement, and Psychological Space. Did you know your creative psychological space can be enhanced, simply by taking a shower?
The average American spends 48 hours each year in the shower—well over a full work week!—according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (that is, if you shower daily, as the typical shower lasts eight minutes). And while you might chalk that up as mindless time used to clean your body, it’s actually a surprisingly effective place to learn how to be creative, too.
Here are three reasons why some of your best ideas might pop up in the shower.
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You’re out-of-office for a bit.
The shower is an electronic-free zone, away from the constant stimulus of digital daily life, which allows the brain to wander more easily than when you’re distracted by the constant pings on your phone.
Your most creative ideas are rare, explains Dean Keith Simonton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Davis, because when you’re constantly grinding through the workday (attending meetings, answering emails, filling out paperwork) you’re concentrating on higher-probability ideas that are “must-dos,” which pushes lower-probability, creative and new ideas aside.
But a relaxing shower or hike—during which you truly allow your mind to wander— helps you to dive deep into those original and creative thoughts, without interruption.
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You’re in a safe space.
The shower is a decently safe space compared to many other places in life—even ones where you do other “mindless” tasks.
You need a certain amount of focus to avoid a car accident or to stop that pot from boiling over. Since a portion of your brain’s resources aren’t being used in “focus” or “protection” mode, those areas are freed up to wander and wonder.
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You’re able to tap into your brain’s “default network.”
The brain never ever turns off (hence why you dream while sleeping). However, certain activities, like showering, allow for a momentary mental break, which may help activate a powerful neural system called the “default network.”
“The default network is activated when the brain is deactivated, not focusing on any one stimulus or thought,” Simonton says. “Again, an ideal opportunity to come up with a highly original idea.”
It’s commonly believed that the left side of the brain tracks logic and the right side is where we tap into how to be creative, but the interplay between the two is much more complex. So the “network” part of this brain process is probably the most useful. Allowing both sides of the brain to interact, as they might while pondering big ideas in the shower, could build networks that you can utilize later in the day.
So, when your next brainstorm session isn’t helping you come up with that great idea you need for work, try taking a shower! Use that time to not only clean your body, but your brain too, and give it the creativity boost it needs to come up with your best, most creative ideas.
Looking for ways to boost your creativity? Check out this SFG blog post.
Schultz Financial Group Inc. (SFG) is a wealth management firm located in Reno, NV. Our approach to wealth management is different from many other wealth managers, financial advisors, and financial planners. Our team of fee-only fiduciaries strives to help our clients build their wealth across four capitals: Financial Matters, Physical Well-being, Psychological Space, and Intellectual Engagement. We provide family office and wealth management services to clients located in Nevada, California, and other states. If you’d like more information, please check out our website or reach out to us via our contact page.