It happens to all of us. You're struggling with a problem that feels unsolvable and then somewhere between shampoo and conditioner, you find the answer in the shower. For some reason, when we step·away from an issue, and especially when we're doing something like showering, we can find a creative solution. Researchers at the University of Virginia call it the "shower effect".
In a recent study, researchers found that mildly engaging tasks like showering or walking can produce the most creativity. The balance between focus and mind wandering seems to produce the best results. "Constraining (限定) your thoughts through minor stimulation seems to promote more creativity compared to if your mind is wandering and there's nothing going on around you," says study author Zachary C. Irving, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia.
Participants in the study weren't actually showering—that's unsuitable for a research study. Instead, participants either saw a video that was considered boring—two men folding laundry—or a video of the famous scene in When Harry Met Sally..., which was considered mildly stimulating. After that, participants had 45 seconds before researchers asked them to describe how they would possibly use a brick or a nail. Researchers then examined both the number of ideas generated and the originality of those ideas. They found that the participants who watched the mildly stimulating video came up with more creative solutions.
"My students can learn a thing or two from the research which highlights the importance of stepping away from a problem to solve it," says Alice Flaherty, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Some of them are so dedicated that they won't get up from their desks until they have a creative idea, which is counterproductive because they don't ever let their brains step back and take a rest."
But Flaherty also states that researchers need to control the factor of physical arousal（唤起）during their study. That's because an activity which increases your heart rate might make you think you have the best idea. "There must be other reasons to explain this phenomenon. And while showering might promote creativity," she says, "it might not be for the reasons they state.".
