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Problem solutions like to play hide and seek. We seek. And they hide. The harder we search, the better that solution stays hidden. But there are tricks you can use to bring the solutions out of hiding. Here are 3 steps to help you find creative solutions to difficult problems.
First, stop thinking about it. When we stay focused on a difficult problem, the solution often stays hidden. We can get stuck in one way of seeing and understanding the problem situation. To break your pattern of thinking, psychologists advise taking an incubation period. During an incubation period, you stop focusing on the problem and so something else. Incubation means waiting for an idea to hatch. Incubation is incredibly effective for a variety of problems; particularly for challenging problems (Sio & Ormerod, 2009, 2015). Even when you aren’t consciously focused on the problem, your mind continues to work on it. Unconscious thinking appears to be very creative. People come up with more creative ideas after being distracted than after focusing on a problem (Dijksterhuis & Meurs, 2009). Incubation periods let your unconscious thinking address the problem. Pots don’t boil when we watch and solutions don’t appear when we keep focused on the problem.
Second, put your head in the clouds. What you do during your incubation period matters. Focus your conscious awareness on an undemanding activity – something that leads to mind wandering. Mind wandering is the experience of having your thoughts wander away from your current activity. We often complain about people who frequently go mind wandering. We accuse them of spacing out, being unfocused, not being in the moment, or having their heads in the clouds. But apparently putting your head in the clouds allows you to find creative solutions. In a recent experiment, Baird and colleagues (2012) gave people challenging problems. People generated more creative ideas after an incubation period filled with a simple task than an incubation period filled with a difficult task or filled with rest. A little work occupies your conscious mind, letting your unconscious thinking continue working on creative solutions. What should you do? I prefer simple repetitive tasks. Take a walk, go for a run, or ride a bike. You can even be productive: wash the dishes or fold your laundry. I’ve done some of my best thinking while taking a shower (of course, this can be rough on the hot water bill). The key appears to be a light cognitive load that allows the mind to keep working on your problem outside of awareness (Sio & Ormerod, 2015).
Third, carefully plan your head in the clouds time. You have to cue up the problem as you start the simple, repetitive activity. I work on difficult tasks just prior to starting repetitive tasks, the tasks that lead to mind wandering. Personally I work on writing tasks before I start my bike ride home at the end of the day. Riding my bike takes some conscious thought and effort. But the repetitive spinning of the pedals encourages mind wandering. The problem churns through my unconscious thinking and frequently return to awareness with new insights. When the good ideas come to mind, I make notes immediately after the ride. But it doesn’t have to be a bike ride. Any simple, repetitive activity seems to work. Just be sure to cue up the important problem before you start. (Here's another blog post about using this method to take control of intrusive thoughts.)
Crucially, if you want your unconscious thinking to engage in creativity, you need to give yourself quiet mental space. Avoid the typical distractions of modern life. Turn off the distractions: No phone, no music, no news, and no conversations. Give your mind the ability to get lost. You might be happy with the hidden solutions your unconscious mind discovers while wandering around lost in thought.
Please try this approach to creative problem solving. Stop thinking about the problem. Engage in a simple repetitive activity – go for a walk in the woods. Cue up the problem just before you start. Most likely, your mind will wander. You may get lost in the clouds. Fortunately, creative solutions are hiding in the clouds.
