Have you ever sat at your desk, staring at your screen for hours, desperately wanting the words to appear or the next idea to come? Then you go for a walk or step into the shower, and all of a sudden the spark of inspiration strikes. That’s not a fluke. It’s how our brains are wired.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that the “resting” brain is far more active than anyone expected, in some ways busier than when people were working on assigned mental tasks. Neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen later named this state REST: random episodic silent thinking. During REST, the brain activates the regions that gather information and link it together in new ways.
None of this should surprise wisdom seekers and sages. Hebrew scripture invites us: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Jesus regularly withdrew to quiet places to pray, even while crowds waited for him. Contemplative and Buddhist traditions also teach the discipline of quieting the mind so that something deeper can surface. Even the Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, famously keeps his calendar open and spends much of his day reading and thinking.
Spending the day reading or just thinking isn’t underworking; it’s creating space for the best decisions to surface.
Busy leaders tend to treat white space as wasted time, but it’s actually the opposite. That deep breathing exercise or 20-minute midday walk is not only what the doctor might order, but what the investor should recommend as well.
Try these three ways to make space for new ideas this coming week:
Really, really pressed for time? (90 seconds) Close your eyes. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 4, and exhale for 6. Repeat six times.
Busy, but need a reset? (About 5 minutes)
Stand up and reach as high overhead as you can for 15 seconds.
Fold forward as far as is comfortable for 15 seconds.
Repeat both four times.
Add a minute of gentle neck rolls.
Finish with the 90-second breathing exercise above.
Ready for a real break? (20 minutes) Take a walk and leave your phone behind. No podcast, no calls. Notice the beauty of creation around you, whether natural or made by human hands. As a bonus, Stanford researchers found that people’s creative output rose by as much as 60 percent while walking.
You don’t have to force your next breakthrough. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is step away and let the answer find you.
