Shower thoughts: why your best ideas happen in the shower
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Ever wondered why you're the most creative person in the shower? Discover the science behind shower thoughts and 9 tips to help you spark new ideas wherever you are.
Have you ever been in the shower, half-asleep, and then out of nowhere, you’re hit with an idea so oddly brilliant that you’re convinced you’re a genius and should probably win a MacArthur grant?
Welcome to the wonderful land of shower thoughts. These uninvited but often insightful musings might make you wonder if there’s something magical about your shower. But having great ideas in the shower isn’t just a quirky coincidence — there’s real science behind it.
If you’re curious why this happens and also want to know how to have these same bright ideas during the rest of your day, we’re here to help. Let’s explore how you can coax out your creativity, because inspiration can happen anytime, anywhere. You just have to be in the right headspace for it.
What are shower thoughts?
Shower thoughts tend to be random, spontaneous, brilliant, and weird — and they sneak up on you when you least expect them.
They can be as big and profound as, “What if I’m not actually living the wrong life, I’m just exhausted?” or as strange as, “What if we all had elephant trunks as noses, and elephants had our human noses?”
Basically, shower thoughts wander around without structure, and while they’re usually dismissed as silly or irrelevant, they can actually be signs that your mind’s doing some processing. The beauty of a shower thought is that it typically arrives with zero pressure or expectations. It’s just your brain, some steam, and a few minutes where no one’s asking you to do or be anything.
Why do we have shower thoughts? The science behind them
Your brain has something called the default mode network (DMN). This is like the mind’s background mode. It’s the setting it switches to when you’re not actively focused on a job or duty. Think walking, folding laundry, or yes, taking a distraction-free shower. When you’re doing activities like this, the DMN tends to kick in and start connecting dots you didn’t even know you had.
To break it down more, your brain tends to thrive when you’re mentally checked out. While you’re washing your hair and spacing out, your mind’s working behind the scenes and untangling complex problems, replaying memories, and pulling together random bits of information.
On top of this, there’s dopamine — one of the “feel-good” brain chemicals. Warm water and blissful solitude can help give you a little boost, which may enhance your creative thinking. It’s like your brain’s throwing a little party, and all your best ideas are on the guest list. Plus, you’re not multitasking, so your brain has more space and time to actually wander and spark insight.
The connection between mindfulness and creativity
Mindfulness is about being in the moment, without constantly thinking about things like your never-ending to-do list, and when you’re present, your brain tends to loosen its grip. As a result, your thoughts can start to wander, and this can cause you to tune in more to the present moment with curiosity.
That curious and free space is where creativity usually thrives because you’re not forcing or micromanaging every thought — you’re making enough space for your mind to stretch out and explore. In other words, mindfulness can act as a secret backdoor into your creative potential.
The great news is that you can be mindful while doing so many activities like walking the dog, making your lunch, and washing your hands. When you let yourself just be, even for a minute or two, you’re helping to create fertile ground for ideas to bloom, and you’re signaling to your brain that it’s safe to play and be creative.
How to spark creative thoughts anywhere: 9 mindful tips
While you might believe that your best thoughts only come while you’re in the shower, you don’t actually have to be in one to tap into that same brain magic. It’s possible to spark creative ideas in a variety of different places.
Here are some easy tips to help you invite more creative thoughts into your life from wherever you happen to be.
1. Embrace low-stakes boredom
Some of your most brilliant thinking usually happens when you’re not trying so hard to think. This is because your brain tends to need a little space to roam.
To help your mind go there, try intentionally not doing something for five minutes a day. Don’t use your phone or multitask. Just be and maybe stare out a window. ( Here are six other benefits of boredom and how to embrace it.)
2. Build movement into your stuck moments
When you’re physically moving, your brain also typically moves. This doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon or do an intense workout, but to help kick your mind into gear, consider doing a short walk around the block or pacing while you’re on a call.
3. Make room for mental silence
These days, silence can be rare, but being in silence is powerful. It can lead to amazing ideas showing up, along with these five other benefits.
Consider spending a couple of minutes a day in deliberate quiet. Don’t listen to music or talk. It might be awkward at first, but hang in there. Once it stops being weird, it usually starts being wonderful.
4. Give your brain something to chew on
A lot of the time, shower thoughts tend to show up because your brain has been working on something in the background. Before you hop in the shower or decide to take a mental break when you get stumped, try casually posing a question to yourself, like “How could I solve this problem?”
By doing this, you're helping your mind to start chewing on it—even if you’re not actively thinking about it—and oftentimes, your brain will circle back when you least expect it.
5. Use music to set the mental stage
Instrumental music, ambient sounds, and even nature noises can help create a calming, low-focus vibe in the same way a shower does.
If you’re not feeling particularly creative, put on some music with no lyrics, like some soundscapes, and give your brain permission to float.
💙 Listen to Novo Amor’s Songs for Cozy Mornings if you’re looking for some music to help your brain roam.
6. Do repetitive tasks without multitasking them
Washing dishes and combing your hair can be very similar to the repetitive motions of showering, but only if you don’t clutter them with distractions.
The next time you do an activity like this, try just doing that task and nothing else. Aim to notice the textures, the sounds, and the tiny rituals of it all.
7. Start a “bad ideas” notebook
Perfectionism is usually creativity’s mood killer. To lower the stakes, consider keeping a notebook of bad and half-baked ideas. (If you struggle with being a perfectionist, here are six tips to help.)
As much as you can, try not to filter yourself. Just get the ideas out of your head and onto something physical. It can be amazing how often one “bad” idea turns into a pretty good one, once it’s not suffocating under intense pressure.
8. Do a one-minute brain dump
Set a timer for one minute and jot down every thought that enters your mind. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or cohesiveness. This exercise can help declutter your brain and potentially allow for creative nuggets to rise to the surface.
9. Add little pauses between things
Tiny resets can help give your brain space to connect the dots. To help make room for ideas to sprout later, try adding mini-mindfulness breaks between your meetings, errands, and chores.
You could pause for three deep breaths before switching tasks, close your eyes for 10 seconds, or just take a sip of water and do nothing else as you do it. (Check out 20 more ideas for a mindful break.)
💙 Consider listening to A Purposeful Pause with Jay Shetty to get a little reset.
Shower thoughts FAQs
How can I encourage more creative thinking in the shower?
To encourage more creative thinking in the shower, consider turning off the podcasts and playlists once in a while and just let yourself space out.
Embrace the white noise and let the steam and solitude gently take your mind away. Follow wherever your mind goes.
If it’s helpful, maybe keep a waterproof notepad nearby to get all your ideas down.
Are shower thoughts a sign of mindfulness?
Shower thoughts are usually a side effect of what mindfulness can create, which is a calm and open mental state where your brain isn’t being distracted.
By letting yourself relax into a repetitive task like washing your body, you’re basically inviting mindfulness to sneak in through the back door. This can help make a little moment of presence, and that counts as being mindful.
What are examples of funny or deep shower thoughts?
Some funny thoughts you could have are “Do twins realize that one of them could’ve been unplanned?” or “Who closes the bus door after the driver gets off?”
A deep thought could be something like, “You never actually stop clapping — the time between claps just gets a lot longer,” or, “At this point in my life, I’ve probably drunk enough water to fit the size of a tiny lake.”
How can I use mindfulness to be more creative?
You can use mindfulness to be more creative by starting to notice when your mind’s full, and then giving your brain a break. Consider taking three deep breaths and noticing what’s around you without judging it. You could also intentionally do just one thing at a time.
When you build these little pockets of stillness into your day, your brain can start to feel a little less overloaded, which can allow for new ideas to form.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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