Why interesting ideas come to mind when we least expect it
Tips Productivity / / December 19, 2019
The ability to think about the new information in unusual ways may be difficult in the case, if we are too hard to think about it. This means that the time that we believe is our most productive time of day, may not be optimal for all.
It often happens that when we need to think hard on an unusual way to solve the problem, some banalities come to mind. But once we got distracted, and perhaps even, it seems that you have forgotten about it, come to mind some interesting ideas, but at the wrong time or in the wrong time of day. Such creative impulses of the soul is called "creative leapsยป. Why do they occur so out of place and how best to prepare for them?
Many have heard about the so-called circadian (daily) rhythms, Which are the basis for a variety of physiological functions such as body temperature or digestion. It turns out that the effect of circadian rhythms also applies to our psychological processes. That is, we have a certain time of the day on which the fall peak of our mental activity, which, in fact, help us to focus on solving the problems.
Here are two types of people: the morning (lark) and evening (Owl). Lark superiority lies in the fact that they are better at problem solving in the first half of the day. This is especially true for applications that require the involvement of our memory (systematic reasoning about the problem or numbers analysis, or making plans).
Working memory - this is our notebook. This is the power of the brain that helps us is that we want to keep in mind, and do not forget about it.
Owls same (the people peak production which accounts for the afternoon), it is best to cope with the solution of cognitive tasks in the afternoon.
But all types of tasks require working memory involvement. Sometimes it is, on the contrary, hinder work. This happens when you need to connect the creative part and think about solving the problem of some unusual way. That is what we consider the best time of day for the solution of standard operating issues may not be suitable for very creative process.
Recent studies support this idea. In an article published last year in the journal Thinking and Reasoning, psychologist Mareike Weiss and her colleagues found that when people have to decide problems, which need a good grasp and that require special creativity to cope with this task much better than at the time when they would not normally active.
Solve problems that require creativity, best of all, at the time we used to consider not particularly productive for yourself.
That is owls - in the morning, and larks - in the evening.
This can be compared with the inspiration that comes owls in the morning, when they had just woken up, although in the evening they struggled to solve the problem completely in vain. Or when the lark suddenly comes a brilliant idea when they already have one foot in the bed.
So do not forget about those pleasant surprises, and always carry something where we can write the idea appeared. One of my friends were scattered all over the house notebooks with pencils.
Even in the toilet;)