Recommendation #7

Let your mind wander

“The shower is a wonderful place to let your mind wander. Amid the mist and suds, a good shower can relax not only your body but also your mind, unleashing streams of consciousness, clarity and creativity. It’s called the ‘shower effect,’ but it also can occur outside the shower,” Richard Sima says. The shower is also the place where you can sing and believe you sound like Taylor Swift. In other words, mind wandering is one way our imagination works when our attention isn’t captured by outside events.

Of course, mind wandering can be dangerous when it means we aren’t paying attention to important external things. This can be fine when we’re showering but not so good when we’re driving. It can be very easy to go on autopilot there and pass the speed limit or worse.

With that proviso, the idea that we can suddenly see the solution to a knotty problem when we are performing a mundane or routine task is fascinating, isn’t it? Have you tried carrying a little notebook or turning on your phone recorder so you can capture unexpected insights while you are taking a walk and looking at the trees? There is research that these bursts of connection last a split second, so if you don’t record them when they come you will lose them. Could saving and savoring them make a positive difference in your life? This is an experiment worth trying, I think.

I became especially intrigued by the term “mind wandering” as Sima is using it because it incorporates the elements we focus on to design an ageless mind: the physical (you are doing something simple), the cognitive (your mind is active) and the emotional (you feel excited by what is bubbling up).

So here is a suggestion: consciously notice those moments when you tend to experience what we think of as “creative sparks.” Does your mind wander most fruitfully when you are in the shower or washing dishes or doing something else? Some of the research I have read suggests that you can intentionally create sigificant results this way when you want to solve problems or come up with new ideas. Just capture your brilliant visions asap!

This brings a series I began in late December to a close. These brief essays have been based on a Washington Post article by Richard Sima called “Our Best Brain Tips for a Healthier, Happier Life,” which recommended seven ways we can be proactive about aging healthfully.

What I learned is that promising to complete the series in a week proved to be too difficult…perhaps because I am an inveterate mind wanderer? But I also learned how much we can do to live a full, rich life by understanding how we can improve our own physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing—and then using what we learn.

Richard Sima’s original article in the Washington Post, with more details, is available to subscribers @https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/12/shower-thoughts-creativity-brain/ Since The WP costs only $4 a month, you might want to subscribe. (I like to support good journalism.)

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