Why Our Best Ideas Come to Us in the Shower

If you’ve ever had your brightest eureka moments while taking a shower, you’re not alone. There’s even a Reddit community where people share their most insightful shower thoughts.

We at Bright Side have also noticed that you can come up with some creative ideas while daydreaming in the shower. And we decided to find out the reasons behind this.

1. The best ideas come when you’re not thinking.

The most significant and life-changing ideas may come from so-called “shower moments,” and there’s science to confirm it. A group of researchers gave college students mind teasers and asked them to report if they got their answers by thinking the solution through step-by-step or if the answer just “came to them.” As it turned out, those who correctly solved the problem were not the ones who tried to solve it step-by-step. Taking a shower gets your ideas flowing, and you’re more likely to come up with creative solutions.

2. Showers boost your dopamine level.

Taking a shower is one of the easiest ways to increase dopamine — a neurotransmitter responsible for motivation and focus. It’s important for your memory and brain function and even regulates your body movements. Showering in cold water can increase dopamine by 250%.

3. You are relaxed.

When we’re relaxed, we’re more likely to turn our attention inward and come up with insightful ideas. Bathing or taking a shower can lower stress and anxiety, calm you down, and make your ideas flourish.

4. A little distraction is good for creativity.

While intense focus is important for work, a gentle distraction can “refresh” your brain and help your imagination run wild. Showering is a perfect example of how we can switch our attention from one activity to another. Distraction can give our brain a “break” and we can work on a problem more creatively.

5. You’re more creative when you’re sleepy.

You’re probably used to taking a shower early in the morning when you’re half-asleep, or late in the evening when you can’t wait to go to bed. You may be thinking that when you’re tired, you’re unlikely to come up with any innovative ideas, but science proves brain fog can actually boost your creativity. Researchers have found out that we use more creative thinking when we’re tired. So if you’re a night owl, you may be more creative early in the morning.

Have you ever had an Aha! moment in the shower? What was the most interesting idea you got while bathing?